Museo de Arte Antiga, Lisbon, Portugal

Looking toward the MNAA

This summer I took an extended trip to Portugal, but I only had one afternoon and evening in Lisbon. I booked a room at the Emerald House Hotel, part of the Hilton Hotel chain. The hotel is on the edge of the Tagus River in the Santos neighborhood.

In the 18th century, Santos was the home to many aristocratic families, who built large houses on the hillside leading from the river to the Estrella neighborhood. These old buildings have been preserved, serving as hotels and apartments today. There are many restaurants and clubs in the area. I enjoyed a post-flight lunch at Geographia, a restaurant that serves dishes from across the Portuguese-speaking countries of the world.

The Emerald House is across the street from one of the gems of Santos’ tourist attractions—The National Museum of Ancient Art (MNAA). Portugal’s national collection of art was initially created after the 1833 abolition of religious orders. The government closed the monasteries and confiscated their artwork and ornaments. It grew during the late 19th and early 20th centuries as several democratic revolutions brought an end to Portugal’s aristocracy and the added these “royal” collections to the national one.

Martyrdom of St. Hippolytus by Cristóvão de Figueiredo

Martyrdom of St. Andrew by Cristóvão de Figueiredo

The Good Shepherd by Frei Carlos

The Annunciation by Unknown

Altarpiece for Madre de Deus by Jorge Alfaro

By 1884, the national gallery contained too much art for one museum, so they divided it up, creating the Museo Nacional de Arte Antiga, which houses all pieces made before 1850. The MNAA was placed in the Palácio Alvor-Pombal, in Santos. This building is from the late 17th century. Its architecture is typical for that era. The house presents a long high wall to the main street, while the entrance is in a courtyard along its shorter side. Its rooms have high ceilings. There is also a garden at its lower level, that overlooks the Tagus River and its bustling port.

Portrait of Domingos and Mariana Benedicta Vitória de Sequeiro
by Domingos Antonio de Sequeira

Portrait of Dona Isabel de Moura by Domingos Vieira

Martyrdom of St. Sebastian by Gregório Lopes

Ecce Homo by Unknown

A Wall of Apostles

Winter Landscape by Gustave Courbet

Whether you are visiting Lisbon for a short or an extended stay, the Santo neighborhood and the MNAA should be on your list of places to see.

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