Museu da Marioneta

The Museu da Marioneta occupies part of the Convento das Bernardas, a seventeenth-century convent in Madragoa that was later a factory and is now partly apartments, and it holds around a thousand puppets. The Portuguese material is the core: Dom Roberto glove puppets, the violent slapstick street tradition performed from a portable booth at fairs and beaches - Dom Roberto beats everyone with a stick, including the police and death - along with the bonecos de Santo Aleixo, rod puppets from an Alentejo village tradition that survived in one family and was recovered in the 1960s. Beyond that are Sicilian rod puppets, Javanese and Balinese shadow and rod figures, Vietnamese water puppets, Chinese and Japanese pieces, and African masks and figures. There is a workshop area for children and a small theatre where performances are staged.

History

The museum was created in 1987 by the São Lourenço Puppet Company, founded by the musician José Alberto Gil and the puppeteer Helena Vaz, whose puppets formed its core. An agreement with Lisbon City Council let it move in 2001 to the Convento das Bernardas, and it was rehabilitated and expanded in 2007-2008 (Wikipedia, Museu da Marioneta).

Highlights

• Dom Roberto - the Portuguese street glove-puppet tradition and its booth.
• Santo Aleixo - Alentejo rod puppets recovered from a single family in the 1960s.
• The world collection - Sicilian, Javanese, Vietnamese, Chinese and African figures.
• The convent - a seventeenth-century building later a factory, now partly apartments.

When to go

Year-round. One to two hours. Closed Mondays. Performances in the small theatre run on a published schedule, mainly at weekends.

What to expect

Small - an hour is enough for most visitors. Performances are occasional and mostly in Portuguese. Dimly lit for conservation. Madragoa is off the main routes and needs a tram or a walk.

Nearby

The Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga is west; Santos and the riverfront are below.

Key facts