Pimenta Palace

The long-term exhibition at Pimenta Palace, headquarters of the Museum of Lisbon and located on Campo Grande, provides a chronological overview of the development of the city from prehistoric times to the late 20th century. 

The exhibition is housed in a summer palace dating from the first half of the 18th century, framed by what remains of an old manor house. Built between 1734 and 1746 at the behest of Diogo de Sousa Mexia, a prominent figure in the reigns of King Pedro II and King João V, the authorship of the architectural project is unknown. The palace has had various owners over time, including Manuel Joaquim Pimenta de Carvalho, from whom its current name is derived. In 1914, the palace came into the possession of Jorge Lobo de Ávila Graça, who carried out important works, including some which are still clearly visible in the palace’s physiognomy.

In 1962, the property was acquired by Lisbon City Council and chosen as the site for what was then called the City Museum following the renovation of the building and its gardens. Before this, the City Museum had operated in Mitra Palace since 1942. While the first adaptation project, dating from 1968, was by architect Raul Lino, it was thanks to the intervention of architect Duarte Nuno Simões, together with a museological programme by Irisalva Moita, that the new museum was inaugurated in May 1979.

In addition to the long-term exhibition area, the Museum of Lisbon - Pimenta Palace has a temporary exhibition area (Pavilhão Preto) and a documentation and services centre.

The complex also features a garden which occupies three distinct areas of the former property: the formal walled garden, the woods and two former agricultural areas which have since been converted. With the adaptation of the palace into a museum, the gardens were embellished with sculptures and other elements from the collection and, since 2010, are host to a project by artist Joana Vasconcelos which integrates ceramics designed by Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro.

In the garden, by the lake, a kiosk with a terrace offers refreshments and light meals during the museum's opening hours.