During the last week of its opening, from today to September 28, entry to the museum will be free, with a special program planned for Sunday offering activities for children and families, including guided tours, games, and musical moments.
The planned renovations will take place in three areas of the MNAA building: on the second floor, which houses collections of goldsmithing, jewelry, ceramics, and expansion arts, updates to museum equipment and related exhibition narratives are planned.
In the European Art Gallery, signage and museography will be revised and updated. The rehabilitation work on the building will include roof repairs and facade conservation, the museum details.
The conservation and restoration campaign for the Capela das Albertas, part of the museum building, is ongoing, with its reopening also dependent on the PRR schedule.
The museum’s reopening is also subject to the timeline of this renovation process as outlined in the plan.
“This presents both a significant and unique opportunity for preparing the museum for the coming decade, with the reopening expected to offer visitors a more inclusive and accessible facility, and an updated understanding of our collections,” the institution highlights, regarding what’s envisioned for the entity after the anticipated projects.
The work is conducted under the oversight of the Lisbon Tourism Association and Património Cultural Instituto Público (PC-IP), which is responsible for the physical and financial oversight and implementation of the plan within the sector.
Earlier this year, MNAA announced that the European Painting Gallery would close in March for renovations under the PRR, while all other exhibition rooms, including those of decorative arts, nativity scenes, furniture, jewelry, textiles, ceramics, and Portuguese painting and sculpture from the Middle Ages to the 19th century, remained open to the public.
In June of last year, the previous director of MNAA, Joaquim Caetano, indicated July as the start for air conditioning system repairs, followed by work on the facades and roof.
The latest information from the Mais Transparência portal reveals that a funding of 6.57 million euros has been assigned for interventions at MNAA under the PRR, with 1.32 million already disbursed, and completion expected by June 30, 2026.
Founded in 1884, the MNAA currently holds an archive of approximately 40,000 pieces, featuring the country’s most significant public collection of painting, sculpture, and decorative arts—Portuguese, European, and of Expansion—spanning from the Middle Ages to the 19th century, including the highest number of works classified as “national treasures” and the largest collection of Portuguese furniture.
Among its collection are some of the world’s most notable pieces of artistic heritage, including the Saint Vincent Panels by Nuno Gonçalves, regarded as a masterwork of 15th-century European painting.
The PRR is a European program, running until 2026, aimed at implementing reforms and investments designed to restore sustainable economic growth following the pandemic.
