Seokjin Ham
Google
This is Portugal’s first public art museum, originally founded in 1833 by King Pedro IV as the Museu Portuense (Museum Portuense). It was renamed in 1911 following the donation of works by the celebrated sculptor António Soares dos Reis. Since 1942, the museum has been housed in the Palácio dos Carrancas (Carrancas Palace), a neoclassical mansion built in the late 18th to early 19th century, which once served as the residence of Portuguese nobility and foreign military commanders. Between 1992 and 2001, the museum underwent major renovations to modernize and expand its exhibition areas. The palace’s original layout was designed by Joaquim da Costa Lima Sampaio, while the renovation was led by the Fernando Távora architectural studio. Today, the museum houses a diverse collection of over 18,000 works, including paintings, sculptures, ceramics, glassware, metalwork, textiles, furniture, and jewelry. It places particular emphasis on the art of Soares dos Reis and on Portuguese painting and sculpture from the 19th and 20th centuries.