Project description:

On May 23, 1905 the “Royal Coach Museum” was inaugurated in Lisbon by the initiative of Queen Amélia of Orleans and Bragança, Princess of France, daughter of the Count of Paris, who married King Carlos I of Portugal in 1886. Bringing together a collection unlike any other in the world, of state and promenade vehicles from the 16th to the 19th centuries, in large part from the Royal House of Portugal, to which vehicles from the Church’s estate and private collections were later added, the National Coach Museum presents an outstanding collection which allows visitors to understand the technical and artistic evolution of animal drawn transportation used by the Courts of Europe up until the emergence of motor vehicles. Exceptional among the vehicles are coaches, berlins, carriages, chaises, cabriolets, litters, sedan chairs and children’s carts making up an interesting collection that allows the public to understand the technical and artistic evolution of the transport. Highlights of this collection are a group of trumpets from the royal band. In the Royal Riding School (The old Museum) there are a group of cavalry and team harnesses, saddles, dress uniforms, armament and 18th century processional accessories, as well a portrait gallery, oil on canvas, of the monarchs of the Bragança Dynasty.

The new building inaugurated in 2015, leads the way for new History to be made by the National Coach Museum, as we have endeavoured to include all of the necessary elements to fulfil the Museum’s mission as place of research, conservation and dissemination of the collections. This new museum allows all types of public to visit the museum and understand the structure of the building, interpreting the collection through the use of new technologies. The collection, as a whole, provides a multisensory experience. Engaging visitors in an interactive journey resulting in a positive and engaging museum environment enjoyable to all. All the contents are presented in four languages: Portuguese, English, French and Castilian.