Naval and Maritime Museums: Portugal

Lisbon

Museu de Marinha

Praça do Imperio,
Belem,
PT-1400 Lisbon.

Telephone: +351 1 612541
Telefax: +351 1

WWW: < http://www.museumarinha.pt>. [In Portuguese or English. A text file is also available in French and German]

Opening hours: Winter, Tuesday - Sunday 10:00-17:00; Summer, 10:00-18:00; Closed Mondays and National Holidays.

The museum, which was founded in 1863, is today housed in the old Jeronimos Monastery, Belem, on the banks of the Tagus. An unfortunate fire in 1916 destroyed the old Escola Naval and with that also almost the entire collection of ship models dating from the beginning of the 19th century.

A number of traditional Portuguese boats are exhibited in the passage way between the museum proper and the barge hall.

The Royal barges are located in a large building adjacent to the former monastery buildings together with other preserved small craft and a couple of early sea-planes. The seven Royal barges are more or less exquisitely decorated and all in a wonderful state of preservation.

1711. The Galeota Grande was built for the King João V. It has 40 oars which were pulled by two men each.
c1750. The Galeota Pequena (the Small Barge). This barge which has 26 oars was in use until 1923.
1778. A barge built by order of Queen Maria I for Prince João, later King João VI. Equipped with 40 oars to be pulled by 80 men. It was last used in 1957.
End of 18th century. Galeota da alfandega also known as the Custom's Barge. It has 12 oars.
1790. Saveira Doirada (the Golden Barge). Built by order of Queen Maria I for the use of Princess Charlota Joaquina. It has 14 oars.
1831. A 16 oar barge built for Prince Miguel. Was later transferred to the Ministry of Marine.
1862. King Luis cutter, 12 oars.

There is also a small but remarkable collection of models of royal barges presented to the museum by its great benefactor Henrique Maufroys de Seixas.

In April 1998 the newly restored 50-gun frigate D. Fernando II e Glória (1843) was added to the museum.

Updated 1998-10-20 by Lars Bruzelius

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