Category: Civil Architecture > Museum
District: Lisboa > Lisboa > Lisboa > Arroios
Situated in the Arroios area, this museum is located on Sant'Ana hill, an area with a particular history in Lisbon. Its position gives it a distinctive urban setting, close to the historic Campo Mártires da Pátria.
From some points of the building that houses the museum, it is possible to enjoy panoramic views over the city of Lisbon, contemplating the typical houses, the Graça viewpoint and São Jorge Castle.
The building that houses the museum collection began construction in 1919, and was completed in the mid-1930s. The Institute of Forensic Medicine and Forensic Sciences itself has its roots in 1918.
Visiting this space can provide a feeling of stepping back in time, partly due to the period furniture that still decorates offices and corridors, maintaining the original atmosphere of the period when the building was inaugurated.
The museum of the Institute of Forensic Medicine holds a collection that brings together unique and, at times, intense testimonies of forensic work and the history of legal medicine in Portugal. Far from being a conventional exhibition, it presents artifacts and specimens that document investigations, scientific studies, and real cases that have occurred over more than a century.
This collection offers a rare perspective on the evolution of forensic science and how legal medicine has accompanied the social and criminal history of the country.
Among the most striking elements of the collection are specimens that result directly from forensic and medical investigation. It is possible to observe skullcaps that show traumatic injuries, some associated with historical events.
Also noteworthy are the death masks, a vast collection begun in the early 20th century with the aim of a scientific study on the relationship between post-mortem facial expression and the circumstances of death. In preserved glass jars, it is still possible to observe organic tissues, organs, and other anatomical curiosities collected over several decades by historical figures of the institute.
The museum also holds objects directly linked to criminal investigations and notorious cases that passed through the institute. A collection of various weapons, from knives and revolvers to less conventional objects, silently tells stories of crimes and aggressions.
The collection includes original artifacts and documentation from famous cases in Portuguese history, such as the forensic analysis of documents linked to the Alves dos Reis fraud or artifacts related to the assassination of President Sidónio Pais. These elements help illustrate the crucial role of legal medicine in elucidating crimes and documenting history.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 38.7198384,-9.1383809
Coordinates DMS: 38°43'11.4"N 09°08'18.2"W
Weather Lisboa
On-duty Pharmacy Lisboa
