Chiado Museum

Museu do Chiado (Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea – Museu do Chiado) is a national art museum in Lisbon's historic Chiado district. It gathers Portuguese art from the mid-19th century to the present, and it is one of the country's oldest museums devoted to modern art.

What is the Museu do Chiado?

The museum was created by a republican decree on 26 May 1911. It came out of the split of the former National Museum of Fine Arts into two institutions: the National Museum of Ancient Art and the National Museum of Contemporary Art. For the young republic this was a significant project, meant to promote and teach the arts, and for its time it was a pioneering space.

Where is it, and what is the building like?

The museum occupies part of the former Convent of São Francisco da Cidade in central Lisbon. The convent was badly damaged in the 1755 earthquake. The same complex also houses the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Lisbon and the National Academy of Fine Arts, which gives the surroundings a distinctly artistic feel.

After a fire affected the district in 1988, the building was extensively remodelled. The project was led by the French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte. The museum reopened in 1994 and has kept that form ever since.

What will you see in the collection?

The collection spans 1850 to the present day. It holds foundational works in the history of modern Portuguese art, including several national treasures. Media include painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, video and installation.

Artists represented include:

• Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro,
• José Malhoa,
• Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso,
• Almada Negreiros,
• Lourdes Castro,
• Helena Almeida.

With such a broad range, visitors can follow how Portuguese art changed, from 19th-century painting to contemporary video and installations.

Who is it for?

The museum suits anyone who wants to get to know Portuguese art of the 19th and 20th centuries, beyond monuments and azulejos. It is an easy stop on a walk through Chiado, since it sits in the heart of the district. Architecture fans will appreciate the mix of a historic convent and a modern remodelling.

Frequently asked questions

When was the Museu do Chiado founded? In 1911. It reopened in its current form in 1994.

Where is the museum? In Lisbon's Chiado district, in part of the former Convent of São Francisco da Cidade.

Who designed the renovation? The French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, after the 1988 fire.

What is in the collection? Painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, video and installations by Portuguese artists from 1850 to today.

Which names are worth knowing before a visit? Among others Almada Negreiros, Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso, José Malhoa, Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro, Lourdes Castro and Helena Almeida.

Are there other art institutions nearby? Yes. The same complex houses the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Lisbon and the National Academy of Fine Arts.