NATIONAL COACH MUSEUM

Description

Essentials about the National Coach Museum in brief

If you are interested in historical vehicles, you should make your way to the Museu Nacional dos Coches (National Coach Museum) in Lisbon. Located in the Belém district, the museum has one of the most beautiful and unique collections of historic coaches and other means of transportation, such as carriages, sedan chairs and carrying chairs used by the Portuguese court and European noble houses from the 17th to the 19th centuries.

The building of the National Coach Museum

The Lisbon part of the museum is now divided into two: Its older (now smaller) part is housed in the former classical equestrian hall of the Palácio Nacional de Belém. Across the street, a futuristic new building has housed the larger part of the entire collection since 2015. Another part of the collection of the National Coach Museum is located in the old riding stables of the Ducal Palace in Vila Viçosa in the province of Alentejo.

The former riding hall of the Palácio Nacional de Belém was built in 1787 by the Italian architect Giacomo Azzolini. The interior of the hall was decorated by the artist Francisco de Setubal with representations and azulejo mosaics of science, trade, peace and victory. The riding arena, 50 meters long and 17 meters wide, was used for training horses and for performances. The original Coach Museum was established in this building in 1905 at the behest of the last Portuguese Queen Amélie.

In 2010, the foundation stone was laid for the new building designed by Brazilian star architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha. By 2013, the museum was completed and presented to the public, but could not be opened for the time being due to lack of funding. It has now been open to the public since 2015.

The exbibitions of the National Coach Museum

Both houses an extensive collection of carriages of the Portuguese royal family and the Portuguese and European nobility. The numerous examples from the 16th to the 19th century include the traveling carriage of Philip II of Spain or the royal carriage of John VI of Portugal, made in England. The collection also provides a comprehensive overview of the development of carriages with exhibits from England, France, Italy, Austria, Portugal and Spain.

Among the highlights of the exhibition are several pompous Baroque carriages from the 18th century, painted and decorated with gilded carvings. Among the most impressive exhibits are a coach given by Pope Clement XI to the Portuguese King John V in 1715 and the two carriages built for Pope Clement XI in 1716. In addition to the carriages, the collection in both houses also presents paintings, sedan chairs, carriage liveries, bridles, saddles and other accessories.