The treasures of the crown of Portugal can now be discovered in Lisbon
Stored in one of the largest safes in the world, behind two five-ton doors, the Portuguese royal treasure will, as of today, be on display at the Palácio Nacional da Ajuda in Lisbon, where the new Royal Treasury Museum will be inaugurated, with the presence of the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the Prime Minister António Costa and Carlos Moedas, Mayor of Lisbon.
This is one that for 226 years was an unfinished project and that now receives all the shine of the royal treasure. “This project is, in the first place, for the Portuguese, as it values our historical memory, makes available assets that were never available for our population to enjoy, but will also have a tourist impact”, assured Vítor Costa, director-general of Lisbon Tourism. . Between residents and tourists, the new museum is expected to attract as many as 275,000 visitors a year.
The box where the exhibition of the museum’s blind doors is located has surveillance, three windows with permanent temperature controls and the museum is protected, and bulletproof glass floors.
The Royal Treasury Museum is also prepared to receive problems with a similar level of security, as mentioned by the scientific director of the museum, José Alberto Ribeiro. In fact, one was even the most attention, as in this project as a matter of saying the architect of the security building, João Carlos Santos. “In addition to doing an intervention next to a security building, showing what the national monument looked like, the exhibition installation, which would show this treasure collection in a security organization, which would show this treasure collection in a security organization”, to reveal. However, other details were taken care of, such as lights installed to highlight the brightness of the pieces, since the safe has no windows.
The Habit of the Order of the Fleece
One of the most important pieces in the exhibition is the Habitat of the Order of the Fleece, which has two pink diamonds, rubies, sapphires, gold and silver, and was made from the dismantling of an old decoration and a plaque of the orders. military, which were recovered by Queen D. Maria I, in 1789.
This masterpiece, which was acquired by the Portuguese State in 1943 from the heirs of D. Miguel, is displayed in a tubular showcase and, as such, it is possible to observe the piece in all its splendor, all around it, and it is still possible to see its reverse, that the particularity of all the diamonds and rubies were presented in an open setting, which gives a greater reflection, according to the specialists.
It should be noted that the insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece was created on the occasion of the marriage of the Duke of Burgundy, Filipe the Good, and Isabel de Portugal, daughter of D. João I.
Ritual Objects of the Monarchy
The fifth section of the museum is dedicated to objects used by the Portuguese monarchy during royal and acclamation ceremonies. In this area we can find, for example, the crown of the kings of Portugal, entirely made of gold, scepters, some robes, the stock, the royal throne, the missal, the crucifix and pillow where the crown was placed.
The royal mantle used by King D. Carlos and used from D. Luís to D. Manuel II, is on display next to the royal throne and the portrait of D. Carlos, painted by José Malhoa. This was the cloak used for acclamation and the opening of parliament, in times of constitutional monarchy. The museum also includes a nucleus dedicated to gold and diamonds from Brazil, another where they are displayed as coins and medals of the Crown, and yet another one where they stand out as jewels. “We are talking about 22,000 stones in this safe, 18,000 of which are diamonds”, says the scientific director, José Alberto Ribeiro.
The €31 million project was based on a protocol between the Ministry of Culture, through the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage, the Lisbon City Council and the Lisbon Tourism Association. It will open to the public on Thursday and admission to the museum will cost 10 euros.