Museu Militar de Lisboa (Lisbon Military Museum), Lisbon

The Military Museum of Lisbon, located in front of the Santa Apolónia Station, is the largest military museum in Portugal and one of Lisbon's oldest. Since its establishment in 1842, as the "Royal Army Arsenal" on the grounds of a 16th-century shipyard, it has served to preserve historical military items. Initially designed to store war materials, the museum now showcases an extensive collection of weapons, uniforms, and historical documents.

In 1851, during the reign of Queen Dona Maria II, the museum was renamed the Artillery Museum by a royal decree and held this title until 1926 when it adopted its current name. Interestingly, the building served as a weapons manufacturing facility until the early 20th century.

In 1963, the museum was classified as a Property of Public Interest.

Among its prized collections is a set of bronze artillery pieces, regarded as one of the most complete globally. These pieces are valuable not only for their military history but also for their inscriptions, heraldic symbols, and period-specific ornamentation. The museum also houses a significant tile collection, comprising twenty-six panels depicting major national events, from 1139 to 1918.

Additionally, it boasts an impressive collection of paintings and sculptures by major Portuguese artists from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Visitors to the museum can explore 33 exhibition spaces, including the Vasco da Gama Room, displaying his sword, and the First World War rooms detailing Portuguese contributions as part of the Allied forces. The Cannon Courtyard, with its comprehensive tile panels depicting various accomplishments of the Portuguese military, and the Plaster Room, showcasing molds for significant statues like that of King Dom José I, are particularly notable.

The museum's extensive collection totals approximately 26,000 pieces. Among them are also murals portraying the historical voyages and the discovery of the sea route to India.

Tip:
On Saturday and Sunday mornings, from 10 am to 12:30 pm, a martial arts club conducts training sessions in European swordsmanship (with two-handed swords, not fencing) in the museum's basement vaults. This is a captivating watch for those interested in martial arts, particularly if they have some familiarity with fencing or kendo.