Things to do in Central Portugal, Portugal: The Best Art Museums

Inaugurated in 2017, the Leopoldo de Almeida Museum resulted from the donation made by the heirs of the sculptor, to the city of Caldas da Rainha, of a wide range of Works of his authorship. The collection consists of models of small and medium format, and a remarkable collection of drawings, wich cover six decades in which Leopoldo de Almeida (1898-1975) was in activity (years 20-70), seeking to give a more intimate view of the one of the most importante sculptors of the Estado Novo pedriod. Designed by the architects Artur Rosa e luís Gravata Filipe, the building is organized in large spaces, were the main groups of collection are arranged: models and mockups, defenitive models (in deposist of the Museum of Lisbon) and the room of drawings and clay sketches.

With works ranging from Antiquity to the early 20th century, the Founder’s Collection comprises more than six thousand pieces gathered throughout Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian’s life, including Egyptian Art, Greco-Roman Art, Islamic Arts, Painting, Sculpture and European Decorative Arts. Works by great masters such as Rubens, Rembrandt, Turner, Degas and René Lalique’s largest set of jewels are just a few examples of what can be found in one of the best private collections in the world. Besides the Founder’s Collection, the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum is also comprised by the Modern Collection, which features the largest and most complete collection of modern and contemporary Portuguese Art. The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum is surrounded by one of the most emblematic modern gardens in Portugal, open all year. The Museum offers a wide range of facilities to improve the visitor’s experience: three cafeterias overlooking the Garden, a museum shop, free cloackroom service and free Wi-Fi.

A must-see for people interested in the history and design of ceramic tiles, this specialty museum houses a splendid collection of decorative tiles dating from the 15th century to the present.

Housed in a corner of the 17th century Azurara palace, this museum features decorative arts from the 15th through 19th centuries, including textiles, furniture, painting, jewelry and ceramics. Guided tours to the Arts and crafts workshops which feature artisans demonstrating traditional crafts like bookbinding, wood carving and working with gold leaf.

Located in Belém, the Museu Coleção Berardo is The Most Visited Museum in Portugal and is the Main Modern and Contemporary Art Museum in Lisbon, with 6 Major Exhibitions on view. Open every day, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (last entrance: 6:30 p.m.) Admission Ticket (adult): 5€, discounts available. Free on Saturdays, all day. Houses the Berardo Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art, together with temporary exhibits. The permanent collection of the museum presents the major art movements of the 20th century - Cubism, Dadaism, Constructivism, De Stijl, Surrealism, Post-war Figuration, CoBrA, Abstract Expressionism, Kinetic and Op Art, Nouveau Réalisme, British Pop Art, American Pop Art, among others, presenting works from artists like Mondrian, Picasso, Duchamp, Andy Warhol, Jackson Polock, Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder, Salvador Dalí, Francis Bacon, Balthus, Lucio Fontana, Yves Klein, Pistoletto, Bill Viola, Andreas Gursky, Frank Stella, among others. A must-see in Lisbon!

This is a 25-room collection of 17th to 20th century arts, originally amassed by a private collector. A true find.