The National Museum of Archaeology (MNA) is Portugal’s main national museum dedicated to archaeology. Located in Lisbon, it was founded in 1893 at the initiative of José Leite de Vasconcelos, with the support of Bernardino Machado. It is situated in the western wing of the Jerónimos Monastery and has been closed to the public since April 2022, under the PRR, for a full renovation of the building and a complete reprogramming of its exhibitions.
The MNA’s collection was gradually built up by José Leite de Vasconcelos and his successor, Manuel Heleno, who, over the course of 70 years, gathered cultural assets for the Museum that could illustrate human occupation in the territory, with the aim of characterising a “Portuguese Man” and thereby defining a national identity by uncovering the nation’s origins in the pre-Roman period. Private donations and later state incorporations were also added.
The MNA’s editorial activity—particularly the continuous publication of O Arqueólogo Português since 1895—has also contributed to promoting the institution as a unique centre for national research.
More than a century after its foundation, the MNA is undergoing the most profound transformation in its history, while continuing its civic mission through initiatives such as Escuta Externa (External Listening) and Aberto Para Obras (Open for Works), among others.
Address
Praça do Império1400-026
Lisboa
Lisboa
Director / Person in Charge
- Dr. António Carvalho
