Latest news and stories about museums in Portugal for expats and residents.
The government and unions representing workers at Museums and Monuments of Portugal (Museus e Monumentos de Portugal or MMP) have signed an agreement to increase compensation for holiday work. Staff will now receive a fixed supplement of 60 euros for working on public holidays. This deal aims to address long-standing concerns regarding compensation for availability during these periods.
The Museum is yet another place of worship for this secular category that inspires religious devotion: contemporary art. Opinion by António Guerreiro
Facilities managed by Museus e Monumentos de Portugal received 4.4% fewer visitors compared to 2024, in a year marked by closures for renovations under the PRR. The Belém Tower recorded the largest drop in visitor numbers, while the Jerónimos Monastery saw the largest increase.
The decline is reportedly linked to the total or partial closure of several museums and monuments for renovation works under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).
What is the “black pottery” of Molelos, which despite being “centuries-old” is not at risk of disappearing? And how is black clay made in the 21st century? The answer lies in the Terras de Besteiros Museum.
The exhibition 'Art & Fashion' at the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum explores the intimate relationship between Gulbenkian's art collection and the world of fashion. Through surprising dialogues between historical artifacts—such as Japanese lacquerware, Chinese porcelain, and classical paintings—and contemporary haute couture pieces by designers like Alexander McQueen, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Guo Pei, the exhibition demonstrates how fashion transcends the ephemeral. Curated by Eloy Martinez de la Prada Celada, the show serves as a laboratory of thought, highlighting how art and fashion share a universal language of beauty, memory, and timelessness.
The former house of priest Alexandre Marques do Vale is today the building of the Terras de Besteiros Museum: the Solar de Sant’Ana. The story of the priest who returned with a mission - which ended up lasting for centuries.
The curriculum of the curator and director of the Arpad Szenes - Vieira da Silva Foundation Museum in Lisbon includes stints at the City Museum in Porto and the José de Guimarães International Arts Centre.
Crossbowmen are a trademark of the Tondela municipality. It is a “living memory” in the region and at the Terras de Besteiros Museum. What does the legend, more or less reliable, involving the Portuguese kings say?
A temporary exhibition showcasing the Cunha e Costa collection, highlighting a shared Portuguese identity.
A reflection on the Muzeu project in Braga, featuring mentions of Ivo M. Ferreira, Itamar Vieira Junior, and Todd Webb.
Roman tradition in the city of Tondela. At the Terras de Besteiros Museum, we find the legend of Briseu, who gathered crossbowmen to assist Viriathus. 'The Romans lost soldiers, but they won the war.'
The agreement ends two years of demands and strikes, covering approximately 350 reception and security workers across 38 facilities managed by the public company.
The Government and trade unions signed an agreement on Wednesday, 22 April, increasing compensation for employees of Museus e Monumentos de Portugal (MMP) working on public holidays. The deal introduces a fixed 60-euro supplement for working on holidays, ending two years of disputes and strikes that had frequently forced the closure of national cultural sites. The agreement covers approximately 950 staff members responsible for visitor services and security across 38 state-managed facilities.
The exhibition includes clothing and accessories worn by the singer.
The curator and researcher is leaving a museum in Denver, United States, for the Portuguese foundation. He begins in May.
A conversation with Fernando Ribeiro, from the Lamego City Council, about the future of the Iberian Mask Interpretive Centre. A centre that wants to “take its exhibition outside its doors”.
The Madeira Banana Centre (BAM) in Ponta do Sol has become a regional landmark, offering an immersive look at the history, cultivation, and science behind the island's iconic fruit. Awarded for its digital content, the museum features interactive exhibits, a virtual guide, and plantations, serving as both a tourist attraction and a hub for promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
The banana found the ideal microclimate on the island of Madeira and became a regional 'ex-libris' which now gives its name to a museum.
In Portugal this Friday to give a lecture for the International Day for Monuments and Sites, Isabel Izquierdo, director of the National Archaeological Museum of Spain, spoke exclusively with Expresso about “the work, the present and the future”
Communists consider that the blocking of the 25th of April Interpretive Centre has a 'double political meaning' and demand clarifications from the Government
The 'Art & Fashion' exhibition at the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum features a unique dialogue between 100 works from the museum's collection and 140 haute couture pieces from world-renowned designers. Curated by Eloy Martínez de la Pera Celada, the exhibition explores the intellectual and aesthetic connections between historical art and contemporary fashion, featuring works by masters such as Rembrandt, Rubens, and Manet alongside creations by Dior, Balenciaga, Guo Pei, and various Portuguese designers. The project, which highlights Calouste Gulbenkian's own passion for fashion, is described as a 'Champions League' of art and fashion exhibitions, made possible while the museum is closed for renovations.
In the art of the Italian artist based in Brazil since the 60s, there is an immanent energy that materialises, momentarily, in each work like a photographic snapshot capturing something older and greater. It is a form in flight. “Terra Poética” will be at the MAAT until August 31st.
Nearly 300 pieces from the 'Champions League of Art and Fashion', by artists such as Rubens and Rembrandt and designers like Givenchy and Guo Pei, are part of the new temporary exhibition at the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon.
In December of last year, the president of the Júlio Pomar Foundation had already mentioned that the entity's assets had been entirely handed over to the Atelier-Museu Júlio Pomar.
Starting this Saturday, “Art & Fashion” crosses masterpieces from the Gulbenkian Museum Collection with 140 national and international creations. It also revives the rigour of Calouste, who labelled his clothing by season.
The “Art & Fashion” exhibition places some of the main works from the Gulbenkian Collection in dialogue with creations by the biggest names in international fashion, such as Dior, Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent, Versace, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, and national designers, from Alves/Gonçalves to Nuno Gama. An ambitious and unprecedented exhibition in Portugal.
At 83 years old, the Italian artist Anna Maria Maiolino presents one of the biggest exhibitions of her career in Lisbon.
