Museu do Fado

Inaugurated in 1998, it is dedicated to the study and promotion of Fado, a music genre that was born in Lisbon’s popular contexts in the 1800s, renowned today within the context of Portuguese musical heritage. During a visit to the museum, visitors are invited to learn about the history of Fado ever since its creation, in the 19th century, up until the present day, whilst going on a journey through the history and technical evolution of the Portuguese guitar, the atmosphere of Fado houses, or the biographical and artistic path of celebrities from the world of Fado.

Since its inauguration, the Museum has been collecting archives of hundreds of celebrities – performers, writers, composers, musicians, luthiers, academics – who form part of Fado’s history, and have thereby contributed to the development of a unique collection in the world.

To fulfil its mission, the Museum has a School, a Guitar Workshop (on Largo das Alcaçarias), a documentation centre, an auditorium, a permanent collection, and a space for temporary exhibitions.

The building that is now home to the Museum used to be a Lifting Station, which began to be constructed in 1868, to solve Lisbon’s water shortage problem, collecting water in Alfama. Later (in 1880), it became a support centre for the Barbadinhos Steam Pumping station. The restoration project and extension of the building was designed by architects João and José Daniel Santa-Rita.