Museu dos Coches: be up on the rich collection of carriages in Portugal

The Museu dos Coches is another must-see for anyone visiting Lisbon and the region of Belém. The national museum is the most visited in Portugal reaching 332,106 visitors in 2017.

In the Museu dos Coches, we can understand the technical and artistic evolution of the means of transport used by European courts until the car came out. To meet its complete collection, it is important to visit the two exhibition centers: Picadeiro Real and this new and modern building.

Its history and construction

Open since May 23, 2015, exactly 110 years after the first museum, the great building houses most of the rich collection of gala carriages and tour of Portugal. The project is signed by the Brazilian architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha in partnership with the Portuguese architect Ricardo Bak Gordon. Paulo Mendes da Rocha is known for having a Pritzker, acclaimed international architecture award.

“The museum has no door and is related on all sides,” says the architect. The number of windows was rationed to respect the photosensitivity of the pieces exposed here.

The collection

In the main hall of this large complex we can find the most important pieces of the museum: the magnificent cars. On the first floor, we can find the car of D. Felipe II de Portugal, used in 1619, when the King visited Lisbon. This is the oldest vehicle in the collection.

“Troca das Princesas” carriage

Another well-known carriage is the Coche da Mesa or the Troca das Princesas. This car, in 1729, integrated the cortege that led the members of the Royal Family to the Caia River, on the border of Portugal and Spain, where the ceremony, known as “Troca das Princesas”, took place. This car was used to take the Princess D. Maria Bárbara de Portugal, to marry the heir of the Spanish crown, D. Fernando de Bourbon. On its return, the carriage brought the Spanish Infant D. Mariana Vitória to marry D. José, future King of Portugal. The double connection of Portuguese and Spanish royal houses took on important aspects in Portuguese foreign policy, reinforcing diplomatic relations with the neighboring nation.

To celebrate the 290th anniversary of the Princess Exchange Ceremony, the Museu Nacional dos Coches has been exhibiting since 5 February 2019 an exhibition evocative of this historic moment of good relationships between the Kingdoms of Portugal and Spain.

Oceans’ carriage

It is impossible to pass through the “Coche dos Oceanos” without notice it. This triumphant vehicle was part of the set of five thematic cars that integrated the cortege of the Embassy to the Pope Clemente XI, sent to Rome by the king D. João V, in 1716. Each part of the decoration makes reference to the Portuguese domination in the seas, once in that time Portugal was a great maritime empire.

The open box “à Romana”, is covered in red silk velvet, and the interior is lined with gold brocade. The rear elevation represents an episode of the maritime history of Portugal. At the center is Apollo, flanked by the figures of spring and summer. At his feet are two old men, the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean holding hands symbolizing the passage through the Cabo da Boa Esperança. In the front head, the autumn and winter figures support the driver’s seat.

Landau of Regicide

The last vehicle to get in the collection was the Landau of Regicide. This car is associated with a tragic episode in the history of Portugal. On February 1st, 1908, the royal family, while passing through the Terreiro do Paço in Lisbon, suffered an attack that killed King Carlos I and crown successor Prince Luis Filipe. Bullet marks are still visible.

Discover more of this unique collection in the world! Meet and enjoy by the beauty and richness of the history of Portugal!

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