The Coach Museum
An exhibit in the Museu dos Coches.
Lisbon's most-visited museum is its Museu dos Coches, which houses the best collection in the world of historic royal and other
horse-drawn vehicles. These are normally housed in the former riding school of Belém Palace built in 1726 by the Italian architect, Azzolini. The 1944 extension is by Raul Lino. The museum has now moved back to Belém after being temporarily transferred to the Parque das Nações, the former Expo-98 site, near Oriente station, to allow roof repairs to be completed.
The Palace at Belém, to which the Coach Museum is attached, is now the residence of the President of the Portuguese Republic. The site is situated at the back of the Praça Afonso de Albuquerque and is easily reached by alighting at the Belém stop of the number 15 tram route from central Lisbon, or Algés. Buses serving the Belém site of the museum include Carris services 714, 727, 28, 729, 751.
At Belém the main display is in the Salão Nobre (Noble Salon), an impressive room, which houses, amongst many other, three carriages of King João V. However, the oldest carriage is one from the seventeenth century, which belonged to King Philip II of Portugal (Philip III of Spain). Apart from the main display room, which has fine decoration, there is an extension containing carriages
of lesser grandeur and other related items, such as sedan chairs.The museum was the creation of Queen Amélia and opened in 1905 as the Museu dos Coches Reais (Museum of Royal Coaches), acquiring its new name after the 1910 Revolution had overthrown the monarchy. The heart of its collection comprises vehicles from the royal household and from the collection of the
Patriarch of Lisbon.
As of summer 2007, the museum was open from 100-1730 from Tuesday to Sunday.
Major Exhibits
The major exhibits in the Museu dos Coches include:
King José's and King João V's coaches (18th century)
The coach in which the Marquês de Fontes went as ambassador to Rome in
the eighteenth century.
Philip II of Spain (Filipe I of Portugal)'s coach - 16th century.
Pope Clement XI's coach.
Other Lisbon Museums
Other museums (most of which are closed on Mondays) which are well worth a visit include:
The Air Museum- Museu do Ar next door to Alverca railway station
on the Azambuja railway line from Oriente.
The Ancient Art Museum : Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga - Lisbon's major art gallery. Near to
tram routes 15, 18 and to Alcântara-Terra railway station.
The Carris Transport Museum at Santo
Amaro on tram route 15. Houses old trams and buses.
The Ceramic Tile Museum: The Museu Nacional do Azulejo at Rua de Madre de Deus 4, on
bus routes 18, 39A, 42, 104, 105.
The Chiado Museum: Museu do Chiado, a fine museum of 19th- and
20th-century art, near Baixa-Chiado Metro station and tram route 28. Has an excellent
small outdoor café
The Electricity Museum: Museu da Electricidade at Belém, near the
railway station, housed in a former power-generating station.
The Gulbenkian Museum: Museu Calouste Gulbenkian near
Palhavã and São Sebastião Metro stations. This has a world-famous
collection of art and artefacts, including Egyptology and lalique-ware.
The Lisbon City Museum: Museu da Cidade in the Palaácio
Pimenta at Campo Grande.
The Maritime Museum: Museu de Marinha at Belém.
The Military Museum: Museu Militar, which stands opposite the main
entrance to Sta Apolónia railway station.
The Modern Art Centre: Centro de Arte Moderna at the Gulbenkian,
near Palhavã and São Sebastião
Metro stations.
The Popular Art Museum: Museu de Arte Popular, opposite the Centro
Cultural de Belém, a folklore museum.
Copyright: ©
Compiled by John Laidlar
21 May 2007