Museu da Marinha: A World Of Discoveries and Adventures
Museu da Marinha in Lisbon is a maritime museum telling the story of the pioneering role of Portugal in exploring the world by sea, evoking memories of the prominent role of Portugal in sea navigation since the age of discoveries.
Housing 17, 000 items, the museum is huge and even includes models of ships dating back to the Age of Discoveries and forward. Located in Jeronimos Monastery’s west wing, one of the Museum’s oldest display items is a figure of the Archangel Raphael in wood. The Archangel had journeyed with Vasco da Gama on the expedition to India.
Some of the other highlights of Museu da Marinha are a couple of ceremonial barges from the 18th century. One of these barges was ordered by Queen Maria I and it remained in working condition for around two centuries. This barge is famous for transporting well-known passengers like Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, and even England’s Queen Elizabeth II. Other exhibits include a royal cabin from the 19th century yacht of Queen Amelia; the first seaplane that crossed the South Atlantic – Santa Cruz – in 1922; 16th century replica maps depicting the world during that time, and the largest collected works of astrolabes.
The maritime museum of Lisbon also has a terrestrial globe made in 1645 by Willem Jansz Blaeu, one of the most famous globe makers in the world back then. Visitors should also visit the “Far East Room” for its unique display of ships made of porcelain as well as Japanese armor belonging to the 15th century. Museu da Marinha is divided into halls and the first of these halls has exhibits that speak about the days of Portugal’s dominance of the world in terms of colonization. It also examines the impact of the colonization on the modern day world.
The Maritime Museum Lisbon is a historically important museum, not just in Portugal, but in the World and any trip to Lisbon is incomplete without a visit. Open from 10:00 to 6:00pm, the museum is located in Praca do Imperio, Belem district and can be reached by taking Tram 15.
