National Archaeology Museum, Archaeological museum in Belém district, Lisbon, Portugal
The National Archaeological Museum occupies the western wing of the Jerónimos Monastery and displays collections spanning from the Stone Age through the Middle Ages. The exhibition fills multiple rooms and showcases artifacts from various periods and excavations across the Iberian Peninsula.
A royal decree of 20 December 1893 created the Portuguese Ethnographic Museum, promoted by José Leite de Vasconcelos with the backing of politician Bernardino Machado. A government decision of 20 November 1900 gave it rooms in the western wing of the Jerónimos Monastery, the former monks' dormitory; the transfer began in 1903 and the museum opened in 1906. It has been renamed four times and since 1989 is the Museu Nacional de Arqueologia do Dr. Leite de Vasconcelos.
The museum holds Latin inscriptions and Roman mosaics that show how people lived in ancient times on the Iberian Peninsula. Visitors can see ancient jewelry and everyday objects that reveal how different civilizations thrived in this region.
The museum is currently undergoing renovations and will not be open to visitors until 2026. Plan your visit for after the renovation work is completed, when normal visiting hours will resume.
The gold jewellery room holds the Vilas-Boas torc, described in the museum's own literature as the collection's ex-libris. The Treasure room also keeps the hoards of Herdade do Álamo and Baião and the Arrecadas from Paços de Ferreira, about a thousand pieces gathered over more than a century and long kept from public view.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,328 contributors worldwide.