The Museum of Portuguese Decorative Arts, housed in the 18th-century Palácio Azurara in the Alfama district of Lisbon, is dedicated to the preservation and valorization of Portuguese decorative arts from the 15th to the 19th century. Founded by the Ricardo do Espírito Santo Silva Foundation in 1953, the museum offers a privileged insight into Portuguese aristocratic taste through furniture, porcelain, textiles, and silverware.
The collection includes over 1,300 pieces, ranging from Baroque and Rococo furniture, Arraiolos carpets, Chinese porcelain, and Portuguese tiles, to paintings by national and foreign artists, and goldsmith objects from the 15th to the 19th century. The palace rooms - such as the D. João V Room, the Nativity Scenes Room, and the Miniatures Room - preserve frescoes, stuccoes, and period azulejos, offering an immersive experience in historical furnishings.
The museum is also home to the 18 craft workshops of FRESS, where visitors can attend workshops on carpentry, gilding, restoration, and traditional weaving, participating in a living project of transmitting ancient techniques.