Museum of Portuguese Decorative Arts

The Museum of Portuguese Decorative Arts is found in the oldest neighborhood in the city of Lisboa, Alfama.

In 1947, the Palácio da Azurara, space that currently houses the museum, was acquired the banker and art collector Ricardo Ribeiro do Espírito Santo Silva (1900 – 1955). The palace's name origin comes from the fact that it once belonged to the Visconde de Azurara, in the end of the 18^th century. After the acquisition, the historic building of the 17^th century, was restored under the supervision of the architect Raul Lino with the purpose of making it a manor-house of the 18t^th century. The conditions were met to the collector be able of exhibiting the decorative pieces of his personal assets.

In the year of 1953, Ricardo Espírito Santo makes the noble decision of giving his art collection to the Portuguese government and creates the Fundação Ricardo Espírito Santo Silva.

The unique collection exhibited in this space is fruit of the passion of a Man. Him, embraced the mission of gathering pieces of the national artistic patrimony, in Portugal and abroad, especially, through art auctions. In this collection it's possible to see exquisite pieces of areas such as textile, furniture, faience, tile, goldsmithing, painting, porcelain, dated from the period between the 15^th and the 18^th centuries.