National Sports Museum

Category: Culture and Entertainment > Museum

District: Lisboa > Lisboa > Lisboa

Location

Housed in the Palácio Foz, in Praça dos Restauradores, Lisbon, the museum occupies one of the most striking buildings on the avenue connecting Rossio to the top of Avenida da Liberdade. The pinkish façade and the elaborate roof stand out in the urban fabric and frame the space within the city's daily life.

The surroundings are characterized by Portuguese pavement with geometric patterns, the constant movement of the square, and the eclectic architecture of the historic area. From the square, the building provides a photogenic backdrop, especially due to the extension of its front and the decorative elements from the 19th century.

Origin and Evolution

The National Museum of Sport opened to the public on July 12, 2012, the centenary of Portugal's participation in the Olympic Games. It originated from an appeal to sports federations to share heritage accumulated by athletes and disciplines, gathering testimonies that help understand the practice of sport in Portugal and its social and scientific dimensions.

The facilities at Palácio Foz closed to the public in December 2022 for building conservation work. In parallel, the museum has maintained activity on other fronts, including the Jamor Interpretive Centre, inaugurated in 2019, dedicated to the history and transformation of the Jamor National Sports Centre in terms of its heritage, landscape, and sporting aspects.

Collection and Research

Among the most recognized items are the football boots of Cristiano Ronaldo, the running shoes of Nelson Évora, and a Grand Bi, a predecessor of the modern bicycle. The collection mixes competition objects, equipment, trophies, and instruments that illustrate the technical and material evolution of sport, placing individual memories side by side with collective milestones.

The museum incorporates the Sports Library, with around 60,000 records, where reference works such as De Arte Gymnastica from 1577 and titles on physical education and sporting practices from the 17th to 19th centuries stand out. The institution also promotes traveling exhibitions through the "Museum Outside the Doors" project, allowing this heritage to be showcased in other locations.