Sculpture molds, fake money, a skull-sawing piece ... This selection would take place in a supposed Unusual Wing of a hypothetical Museum of Museums. If you've already hit the usual Lisbon attractions then maybe you need a new challenge. The truth is that there is much more, and unusual enough, to discover in the strangest museums in and around Lisbon. Stray from the beaten path and discover the weird things these Museums have for you.
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It’s a museum full of statues, but at the same time without the actual statues. D. José I from Terreiro do Paço and Dr. Sousa Martins from Campo dos Mártires da Pátria are here, but in their larval version. That is, the cast of plaster that that would serve as the base for their definitive bronze version. There are pieces that are part of the city’s history that can be seen in a few square meters. Perfect for tourists in a hurry.
This museum has hundreds of wax masks where it is possible to witness the dermatological effects of a number of diseases, especially syphilis. The collection, located in the Noble Hall of the Capuchos Hospital, is visited by medical students that want to dive into the collections didactic value.
This house is the central figure of Os Maias, a Portuguese novel written by Eça de Queirós, and one of the most fascinating houses in the city. Genoveva da Lima Mayer, writer and socialite known for her celebrations, get-togethers and literary soiree's that were the talk of the town in 20s and 30's Lisbon, once lived there. The decor can be described as exuberant, flashy and dramatic, but none of these adjectives do it justice. It is a beautiful and mysterious time capsule that presents us to one of the most eccentric Lisbonites ever - Veva de Lima even had a baby leopard for a pet.
It is in a nice farmhouse in Loures that also serves as a school for the Criminal Investigation Police. It is only visitable by appointment and displays an impressive collection of items related to banditry: guns, fake money, forged works of art and portraits of criminals. There you can find, for example, the knife that was used in the assassination attempt of Pope John Paul II in 1982.
With its world-class restaurants, reputation for style and rich history in art and culture, Portugal’s first city remains high on every discerning traveller’s hit-list.
Spending a weekend anywhere in the world is always a challenge, time constraints mean you have to be pretty sharp to be able to squeeze everything in without overdoing it.
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