Lisbon may have few internationally acclaimed galleries, but in this wonderful museum, as well as the Gulbenkian Museum, the city has a gallery that stands up to comparison with many in Europe.
The National Museum of Ancient Art contains one of Portugal's finest art collections, showing the development of Portuguese art from about the 11th century onwards, and also includes work by several of Europe's greatest artists. There is a wealth of decorative art and silverware, notably Italian ceramics, ecclesiastical vestments, Flemish tapestries and a monstrance from the Mosteiro in Belem, reputedly made from the first gold brought back from the Indies by Vasco da Gama. Also worth seeing are a decorative chapel, preserved from a convent previously on the site and the Namban screens, which depict the arrival of the Portuguese in Japan in 1543.
The museum's most famous painting by far is al altarpiece ' Adoration of St Vincent' thought to be painted by Nuno Goncalves between 1465 and 1470. The work was discovered only in 1882, dirty and damaged in a defunct Lisbon church. Its 6 panels portray around 60 figures paying homage to St Vincent, Lisbon's patron saint, who is depicted twice. Other treasures include works by Velazquez, Raphael, Durer, Holbein, Memling, Frei Carlos, Grao Vasco.
Pick up a leaflet at the entrance to aid your visit. There is a lift and only small steps, so accessible to wheelchair users. There is a small bar and a pleasant cafe.
Open from 10am until 6pm Wednesday to Sunday, and 2pm-6pm on Tuesdays. Closed on Mondays.