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Museu Coleção Berardo
The Berardo Museum, or Museu Coleção Berardo in Portuguese, is located in Belém, on the western side of Lisbon. It houses an incredible collection of modern and contemporary art and is the most prominent modern art museum in Portugal. The collection is located in the Centro Cultural de Belém, which is on a long-term lease.
José Manuel Rodrigues Berardo
We can thank José Manuel Rodrigues Berardo for the beautiful collection we can admire today. Berardo was born on the island of Madeira, and during his time at the Madeira Wine Company, a love for collecting first surfaced. He collected matchboxes, stamps, and postcards in a very systematic way.
After working in the mining business in South Africa, with interests in banking and stock markets, and a variety of business interests, Berardo started his first art collection. He travelled extensively but ultimately came back to Portugal. In the 1990s, he started the Modern and Contemporary Art Collection and acquired some exceptional works of art. With the right connections and funding from previous endeavours, Berardo was able to construct the Coleção Berardo.
The collection has been displayed to the public since 2007 at the Museu Coleção Berardo in Belém, Lisbon. Museu Coleção Berardo is not the only project you can admire. You can discover the Underground Museum in Sangalhos, a place where art and wine come together. The Budha Edén at Quinta dos Loridos lies just north of Lisbon, and here you’ll discover a garden of peace. This garden was created in response to the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The Berardo Collection
The Berardo Collection contains works from the twentieth century to the present day. You’ll discover a variety of artistic movements and diverse cultural contexts. Artists such as Pablo Picasso, Piet Mondrian, Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol and Joan Miró have works displayed in the Berardo Collection Museum. Museu Colecção Berardo hosts several permanent exhibitions as well as temporary exhibitions.
There are two permanent exhibitions; the Berardo Collection Minimalisms and Conceptualisms and the Berardo Collection from the First Modernism to the New Avant-gardes of the 20th Century. Take a look online to check the current exhibitions at the museum.
How to get to the Berardo Collection Museum
The Berardo Museum is located in Belém and is easy to reach. The quickest way from the city centre in Lisbon is by train from Cais de Sodré towards Cascais. The train arrives in Belém in 7 minutes, and from the station, it’s only a short walk to the museum.
Tram 15 leaves from Praça da Figueira and Praça do Comércio, and stops at Centro Cultural de Belém. This stop is right next to the museum! Bus 729 goes to the same stop, and buses 714, 727, 728, and 751 stop at Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. If you come from Trafaria or Porto Brandão, you can reach Belém by ferry.
Opening Times
The Berardo Collection Museum in Lisbon is open every day from 10 AM until 7 PM. The last admission is at 6:30 PM.
Tickets for Museu Coleção Berardo
Entrance to the Berardo Collection Museum Lisbon is free every Saturday, the perfect day the visit! The downside can be that it is busier than usual. Also, on May 18th, International Museum Day, admission is free.
On all other days, the entrance to the Berardo Museum is € 5,00, and children under 6 can visit the museum for free. Audio guides are available for € 3,50.
Guided tours are available and can be booked online on the museum website. Museu Coleção Berardo also hosts several activities and programmes for children, families and adults.
Do you happen to have the Lisboa Card? Then you get a 30% discount to enter the Berardo Collection Museum in Lisbon. The Lisboa Card also gives you free access to public transport, free entrance to many sights such as the Jerónimos Monastery in Belém, and discounts on other sights.
Get 30% off
Other sights in Belém
You can easily stay one or two days in Belém if you’re into history and art. First of all, there are many more museums, such as Museu de Arqueologia, Museu da Marinha, Museu dos Coches, Museu de Arte Popular, MAAT, and Museu da Presidência.
But the most famous sights to visit are the Jeronimos Monastery, the bakery Pasteis de Belém, the botanical garden, Belém Tower, and the monument Padrão dos Descobrimentos. To finish your day, you can take a fantastic boat tour on the Tagus River and enjoy the stunning views over Lisbon and the Ponte 25 de Abril bridge.
Where to stay
With so much to do in one place, Belém is the perfect place to stay the night. As a matter of fact, Belém is a lovely area in Lisbon, and the city centre is easy to reach. Check the map below to find a lovely accommodation for your holiday.
As always, I hope this guide was helpful to you. Belém has many beautiful sights to check out! Which places are on your wishlist?
Written by Marga
Content creator, travel writer and photographer
5 Responses
This museum looks incredible! It is definitely the type of art museum that I enjoy. Thanks so much for sharing. Saving this for later!
Your guide to the Berardo Museum in Lisbon is helpful. The collection sounds extensive. It would be great to see in person.
Beautiful artwork. Portugal is on my list, I will have to make sure I visit this museum and check out the beautiful artwork.
Love the artwork! We love visiting museums when we travel. I will be saving this post for future travel planning.
Looks like another Belem gem. Gosh! Belem could rival the rest of Lisbon in terms of attractions.