Museu Nacional do Azulejo

The Museu Nacional do Azulejo (National Tile Museum) occupies the former Convent of Madre de Deus in eastern Lisbon, Portugal, founded in 1509 by Queen Leonor, widow of King João II. The convent was extended in the 16th to 18th centuries and its church is a showpiece of Portuguese Baroque, with gilded woodwork, paintings, and tile panels. The building survived the 1755 earthquake with partial damage and was later restored. The museum was established in 1965 and focuses on the azulejo, the glazed tile that has been central to Portuguese architecture since the 15th century. Its permanent collection is arranged chronologically and covers Hispano-Moorish tiles, 16th-century polychrome panels, Dutch-influenced blue-and-white work of the 17th and 18th centuries, 19th-century factory production and contemporary pieces. The best-known work is a 23-metre panorama of Lisbon made around 1700, showing the city before the 1755 earthquake with detail of streets, churches and the waterfront. Other highlights include the Baroque church, the Manueline cloister, and a kitchen with tiled walls. A section on production shows techniques of making, glazing and firing tiles. The curatorial approach combines a historical walk through styles with explanation of technique, and the building itself acts as an exhibit. Restoration in recent decades improved the displays, galleries and visitor facilities, and the tile panels are in generally good condition. A cafe-restaurant with a tiled setting sits in the former refectory. The museum gives a visual overview of Portugal's decorative heritage over five centuries.