Museums and Palaces

Part of the Museu de Lisboa (Museum of Lisbon), this collection is dedicated to the life of Saint Anthony, whose veneration has acquired unique characteristics in Portugal and in the countries evangelised by it. Saint Anthony had a particularly close relationship with Lisbon, since this is where he was born and lived until he was 20.

Located in the historic part of the city, next to the Church of Saint Anthony and near the Cathedral, the Museum of Lisbon - Saint Anthony evokes one of the most popular saints in the world.

Saint Anthony was born in Lisbon circa 1191 and was baptised at the Cathedral under the name of Fernando de Bulhões. He died in Padua, Italy, on 13 June 1231. The house in which he was born became municipal property and, from the 14th century, was transformed into a chapel. Later, it became a church and town hall, where the acts of city government were celebrated, and the Senate met. The 1755 earthquake destroyed the church, leaving only the main altar and the image of Saint Anthony relatively intact. Alms collected in Lisbon and throughout the country helped build the new church, which was inaugurated in 1787.

Comprising three rooms, the Museu de Lisboa - Santo António has a long-term exhibition area that accommodates temporary exhibitions and a documentation centre. This space opened in 2014 and resulted from the transformation of the previous Museum of Saint Anthony, created in 1962.