Missing Museums

Museums are great for looking into what a nation is all about. Portugal lacks a few.

"Thin-walled" glass from the Roman period at the Archaelogical Museum

In a sense we very well know what Portugal is all about. It is neither just fado nor tiles. Instead it is the great discoveries of the 15th and 16th centuries which created a wealth and an explosion of artistic creativity that still characterises the country's national heritage. It is a common factor that we remember nations or regions for the powerful positions they once commanded, not for their later downfall. Portugal's golden age was of course the great discoveries and these are what we have gone looking for.

Naval Museum
The first stop is accordingly the Museu de Marinha (only Portuguese), the Maritime Museum on the outskirts of Lisboa with its truly amazing collection of models of boats, tools for navigation as well as paintings of the great maritime explorers. The other stop is the fortress with the Bélem Tower. The tower was erected as a monument for the discoverers with its manueline architecture, the Portuguese late Gothic style. Unfortunately, the story is not really told and there are not that many leaflets in English or any other languages.

Archaeological Museum
Just opposite the Marine Museum is The Archaeological Museum that is in a somewhat better state due to its recent renovation. Regrettably, it suffers from a lack of space, thus (apart form the permanent exhibition of the golden treasures) mainly being used for changing exhibitions, this summer on Greek Vases. Some of the most magnificent finds are accordingly not on permanent show. Again I am looking in vain for a thorough guide in English or (even better) a history written in English about the prehistory of Portugal. The one I find is from 1980 and definitely outdated.

Popular Culture
Further down the street lies a spectacular building from the 30s that used to show the popular culture of the countryside with handicrafts, textiles and ways of living. The collections are, however, packed down (one must hope) and the building is looking quite dilapidated. Lobbyists wish to use the venue for a museum of modern art, which the building seems suited for. But where should I go in order to get an overview of the agrarian history of Portugal such as the viticulture, the lives and times on the great landed properties (latifundia) in the South or the living conditions in the mountains up North? Or the fascinating history of the fisheries, which are scattered all over small insignificant local museums? Will the Portuguese ever tell me about this important part of their history?

This raises of course the more general question: What are national museums for? The locals who know the history up front? Or the tourists who wish to get an overview and an introduction?