LocationMuseu Medeiros e Almeida
The building on the corner of Rua Mouzinho da Silveira and Rua Rosa Araújo was commissioned in 1896 by Lisbon attorney Augusto Víctor dos Santos.
Elevation of the facade of Rua Rosa Araújo 41, LisbonMuseu Medeiros e Almeida
In 1921 it was bought by Eduardo Guedes de Sousa, who altered it to include a garage, another floor, a lift and a slate roof, giving the house its current exterior appearance.
It was sold in 1929 to the Apostolic Nunciature in Portugal, and again in 1942 to Sociedade Agrícola do Cassequel, a Banco Espírito Santo company.
Avenida da Liberdade, LisbonMuseu Medeiros e Almeida
It was located in a part of Lisbon undergoing expansion, with new residential areas bordering the recently inaugurated Avenida da Liberdade.
With four floors and an ample garden area, the 19th-century Parisian design fit perfectly with the surrounding architecture.
Medeiros e Almeida bought the house in 1943 and hired the prestigious architect Carlos Chambers Ramos (1897-1969) to carry out the necessary remodeling and improvements.
In early 1946, the couple moved into a modern home, provided with every possible comfort.
António and Margarida de Medeiros e AlmeidaMuseu Medeiros e Almeida
In the mid-1960s, Medeiros e Almeida had amassed an important collection of decorative arts and wished to leave it to his country.
To this end, he decided to move to the neighboring building and turn his home into a museum.
The couple had lived there for 24 years.
Model of the museum's new wing (20th century)Museu Medeiros e Almeida
In order to keep the collection together and aware that it would continue to grow, Medeiros e Almeida decided to design a new wing in the garden.
Thus, the future institution was provided with two new areas: the part where the couple lived, and a new wing with 13 new spaces.
"Diário de Notícias", 21 February 1986Museu Medeiros e Almeida
Medeiros e Almeida supervised all the details of the project, and even though the difficulties arising from the revolution on 25 April 1974 prevented the museum from opening during his lifetime, the museum installation project had been concluded when he died, in 1986.
The first project for opening the museum to the public was organized in 1989.
Construction work was undertaken to provide the museum with the most up-to-date equipment and accouterments, preventive conservation, and lighting projects were implemented and a catalogue of the collection was published in 1994.
Museu Medeiros e Almeida (2010)Museu Medeiros e Almeida
Fifteen years after the death of Medeiros e Almeida and 27 years after the extension work began on his home, the museum finally opened to the public on 1 June 2001.
