The Riverside

MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology is the new cultural centre for Lisbon.

It’s a museum where these three areas intertwine within a space of debate, discovery, critical thinking and international dialogue. It’s an innovative project which establishes a connection between the new building, designed by Amanda Levete Architects’ studio, and Central Tejo Power Station, one of Portugal’s most prominent examples of industrial architecture from the first half of the 20th century, and one of the most visited museums in the country.

MAAT’s ambition is to present national and international exhibitions by contemporary artists, architects and thinkers. The programme will also include various curatorial perspectives on EDP Foundation’s private Art Collection, reflecting current subject matters and trends.

The Pavilion of Knowledge - Ciência Viva is an interactive science and technology museum that has been open to the public since July 25th 1999. It is an integral part of the Ciência Viva Centres Network and serves as both the driving force and resource centre for this network. 

The main objective is to stimulate scientific knowledge and promote scientific and technological culture among all citizens. The exhibitions and activities proposed allow visitors to explore many wide-ranging themes with interactive Exhibits, relaxing and having fun at the same time. 

Besides the major theme exhibitions, the Pavilion of Knowledge - Ciência Viva promotes various scientific and educational initiatives.

The Jerónimos Monastery is a National Monument and was classified a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

King Manuel I built a large monastery near the location where the Infante D. Henrique ordered a church to be built in the mid-15th century by invocation of St. Mary of Belém.

To immortalise the memory of the Infante, for his intense devotion to Our Lady and faith in St. Jerome, in 1496 King Manuel I decided to found the Monastery of St. Mary of Belém, near the city of Lisbon, next to the Tagus River.

Donated to the monks of the Order of St. Jerome, today it is commonly known as the Jerónimos Monastery.

A pantheon of the Avis-Beja Dynasty, in the 19th century the church became the sepulchre for heroes and poets: Vasco da Gama and Luís de Camões.

A notable work of architecture, it became part of Portuguese identity and culture.

The Belém Tower, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of Lisbon’s most striking monuments and the icon of a country historically moulded by its proximity to the ocean and its maritime discoveries of new worlds.

Discoveries by Portuguese navigators transformed Lisbon into the world’s main trade hub in the 15th and 16th centuries.

To protect the city, King João II conceived a pioneer project to defend Lisbon from enemy ships, a work completed in 1514 and which included the building of the Belém Tower, designed by architect Francisco de Arruda.

The tower’s unique design includes a modern and heavily armed bastion, protruding over the river.

King Manuel I clearly wished the Belém Tower to stand as a lasting symbol of his powerful reign by depicting the royal coat of arms, the armillary sphere and the cross of the Order of Christ.

This triumphal arch in Rua Augusta has always impressed those roaming Lisbon’s busiest pedestrianised street.

But now you can visit the top of this unique structure for a truly singular and impressive view of Baixa and the river. It symbolises the rebirth of a new Lisbon after the tragedy of the earthquake, fire and tsunami in 1755 that razed what stood before.

And it affirms, in Latin, “The Virtues of the Greatest”: the strength, resilience and achievements of the Portuguese people.

At the top stand the sculptures by Célestin Anatole Calmels of Glory crowning Genius and Valour. You can’t help but be inspired by these values as you admire the 360º view of the best Lisbon has to offer. The remaining statues, by Victor Bastos, represent figures of our history. On the left we find the Marquis of Pombal, the following are Vasco da Gama and Viriato and, on the right, Nuno Álvares Pereira.

Discover the history of this arch in the exhibition in the Clock Room for a sense of what it stands for.