What not to miss at the Museu Nacional do Azulejo

Today, we will dive into one of the most visited museums of Lisbon and one of the most important in Portugal. 

The Museu Nacional do Azulejo or National Tile Museum is one of the most important national museums, for its unique collection - the Azulejo (tile), an artistic expression which distinguishes the Portuguese culture, and for the building where it is located - the ancient Convent of Madre de Deus, founded in 1509.

The art of tile making is a Moorish inheritance, much adapted – most noticeably in the addition of human figurative motifs, forbidden by Islam.



The collections on display allow you to make an expedition through the tile history, from the fifteenth century to the present day.

We will describe 5 features you can’t miss when visiting the Museu Nacional do Azulejo.

  • Tile-making Exhibit
Step-by-step exhibits of tile-making, from a lump of clay to the final glazing, help visitors to see how it combines practical uses with decorative ends.

  • Madre de Deus Church
The magnificent barrel-vaulted convent church is the result of three centuries of construction and decoration and contains enough paintings to fill a gallery.

  • Moorish Tiles
With their attractive geometrical patterns, varied color palettes, and glazing techniques, Moorish tiles continue to be an inspiration to tile-makers and home decorators alike.

  • Manueline Cloister
This small but stunning cloister is one of the few surviving features of the original convent of Madre de Deus.

  • Lisbon Panel
On the second floor of the main cloister and 23m long you can see the Lisbon Panel, a vast tiled panorama of Lisbon, a captivating representation of the city’s waterfront as it was before the great earthquake.

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