DK Travel : Lisbon : Museu Nacional do Azulejo

Museu Nacional do Azulejo

No one has rated this yet.

Rate it

Review this attraction

Are these details incorrect?

Ceramic tiles, or azulejos, are a distinctive aspect of Portuguese culture, featuring in contexts both mundane and sacred. The art of making them is a Moorish inheritance, much adapted – most noticeably in the addition of human figurative motifs, which Islam forbids. This museum dedicated to tiles is enjoyable both for the excellent displays and for its beautiful setting, a 16th-century convent transformed over the centuries to include some of the city’s prettiest cloisters and one of its most richly decorated churches.
The rather awkward location of the Tile Museum can be turned into an asset if you combine it with a visit to Parque das Nações , a shopping trip to Santa Apolónia , or lunch at D’Avis . The best place for a pleasant drink in this neighbourhood is the museum’s own cafeteria; otherwise, head for Santa Apolónia .

Top 10 Features

1. Lisbon Panel

1. Lisbon Panel

On the upper level of the main cloister and 23 m (75 ft) long, this vast tiled panorama of Lisbon is a captivating depiction of the city’s waterfront as it looked in about 1740, before the great earthquake. It was transferred here from one of the city’s palaces.
2. Moorish Tiles

With their attractive geometrical patterns, varied colour palettes, and glazing techniques, Moorish tiles continue to be an inspiration to tile-makers and home decorators alike.
3. Manueline Cloister

3. Manueline Cloister

This small but stunning cloister is one of the few surviving features of the original convent of Madre de Deus. This is the Manueline style at its most restrained. The geometrical wall tiles were added in the 17th century.
4. Madre de Deus Church

4. Madre de Deus Church

The magnificent barrel-vaulted convent church is the result of three centuries of construction and decoration, and contains enough paintings to fill a gallery. Today’s layout dates from the 16th century. The tile panels are from the 17th and 18th, as is the Baroque gilt woodwork and other expressions of wealth.
5. Nossa Senhora da Vida Altarpiece

5. Nossa Senhora da Vida Altarpiece

Almost 5 m 16 ft square and containing over 1,000 tiles, this 16th-century Mannerist altarpiece by Marçal de Matos shows the Adoration of the Shepherds, flanked by St Luke and St John.
6. Renaissance Cloister

6. Renaissance Cloister

Part of the first major alterations to the convent in the 16th century, this airy, simple cloister on two levels is the work of Diogo de Torralva. Now glassed in to protect collections and visitors alike from extremes of weather, it remains the light heart of the building.
7. Tile-making Exhibit

Step-by-step exhibits of tile-making, from a lump of clay to the final glazing, help visitors to see how the medium combines practical uses with decorative ends.
8. Temporary Exhibitions

The top floor is devoted to temporary exhibitions – for example, of contemporary tile art, a significant category in Portugual.
9. Shop

A large selection of quality reproductions of classic tile designs are available, as well as modern tiles and other gift items.
10. Cafeteria and Winter Garden

10. Cafeteria and Winter Garden

Suitably tiled with food-related motifs, the museum cafeteria is worth a light lunch stop or a coffee. The courtyard is partly covered and acts as a winter garden.

Practical Information

The rather awkward location of the Tile Museum can be turned into an asset if you combine it with a visit to Parque das Nações , a shopping trip to Santa Apolónia , or lunch at D’Avis . The best place for a pleasant drink in this neighbourhood is the museum’s own cafeteria; otherwise, head for Santa Apolónia . Rua da Madre de Deus 4 21 810 03 40 Open 2–6pm Tue; 10am–6pm Wed–Sun Admission €3 www.mnazulejo-ipmuseus.pt