Museu Nacional do Azulejo

The National Tile Museum in Lisbon showcases the evolution of azulejos from the 15th century to the present, set within the historic Convento da Madre de Deus.

Planning your visit

Azulejos are the glazed tiles that cover Portuguese buildings inside and out, and the National Tile Museum traces them from the fifteenth century to the present — Moorish geometric patterns, Renaissance and Mannerist panels, the blue-and-white Baroque narrative tilework that reached its height in the eighteenth century, and modern and contemporary work including the tiles that line Lisbon metro stations.

The single most remarkable object is a 23-metre panel depicting Lisbon's waterfront as it looked before the 1755 earthquake destroyed the city — an accurate topographical record of a vanished place, made shortly before it vanished.

The setting is the Convento da Madre de Deus, founded in 1509, with a chapel of overwhelming gilded Baroque decoration that visitors often find more startling than anything in the galleries.

The museum is east of the centre, away from the tourist core, which keeps it quiet.

Bookable options include tours combining the museum with Lisbon viewpoints and other sites. Current availability is shown below.