Casa Ásia – Coleção Francisco Capelo

About the museum

The Casa Ásia – Coleção Francisco Capelo (Asia House – Francisco Capelo Collection) permanently displays the collection of Asian art assembled by the collector Francisco Capelo over more than two decades, beginning with a trip to Asia in 1999. From the outset the collection was designed to show the Portuguese public the “real” Asia, and not only the encounter between the Portuguese and that continent. Its incorporation into the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa complements the vision conveyed by the Igreja e Museu de São Roque (São Roque Church and Museum).

The museum occupies the Palácio de São Roque, also called the Palácio Portugal da Gama, a palatial building of 17th-century origin between the Chiado and Bairro Alto districts, on the Largo Trindade Coelho. The spaces were solidly built in the 18th century and survived the 1755 earthquake. The Santa Casa acquired the then dilapidated palace in 2014. Restoration works took place between 2016 and 2021 and the collection was installed in 2023. Casa Ásia opened to the public in 2024.

The collection brings together about 1300 objects, dating from the 3rd century BC to the 20th century, from fourteen countries: India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Korea, Japan, Indonesia, East Timor and the Philippines. The selection favoured rarity and artistic quality. The exhibition occupies the first and second floors, organised by countries and regions.

Highlights

• About 1300 Asian art objects
• Pieces from fourteen countries, from the 3rd century BC to the 20th century
• Palácio de São Roque, of 17th-century origin
• Combined ticket with the São Roque Museum
• Café-restaurant and shop on the ground floor

Permanent exhibition

• Casa Ásia – Coleção Francisco Capelo – About 1300 art objects from fourteen Asian countries, displayed by country and region on the first and second floors.

Founded

2024

Operated by

Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Sundays and public holidays until 14:00, for residents of national territory.

Tickets are bought on site. Free admission also for, among others, unemployed people resident in the European Union, members of ICOM, ICOMOS and APOM, journalists on duty, teachers and pupils on study visits with prior booking, volunteer firefighters, former servicemen, and museum, tourism and heritage professionals in the exercise of their duties.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Lifts and ramps give access to all areas of the museum. The adapted toilet, with a baby-changing table, is on the ground floor. Wheelchairs are available on loan, subject to availability.

Kids & families

• Baby changing facilities

The ground-floor toilet has a baby-changing table. Children and young people up to the age of 12 enter free.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on the Largo Trindade Coelho, next to the Igreja de São Roque.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop
• Lockers

On the ground floor there is a ticket office, lockers, the museum shop and a café-restaurant.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit