Museu de História Natural de Sintra

 

When in Portugal, I was able to visit the Sintra Natural History Museum. Sintra is about a 40 minute train ride from Lisbon, expect a lot of stops though. The town is known for the attractions: Pena Palace, Quinta da Regaleira, and Castelo dos Mouros (Moorish Castle). As with everywhere I visited in Portugal, a lot of walking up hills or stairs.

The museum is located in the town and consists of five (?) rooms. It houses the collection of Miguel Barbosa (1925-2019) which is made up of over 9,000 fossils and minerals. I was surprised as there was no admission fee. The person at the desk was limited in their understanding of English and I don't speak Portuguese but I tried to tell him I was willing to make a donation which did not lead anywhere.

The above image is a room off the entrance that some dinosaur fossils and images. I think the drawings were those of Mr. Barbosa who was a professional artist. I did not see a name on the drawings.

 The next room was the main gallery showcasing a lot of fossils in a very modern looking display cases.

 

 

All in all a very nice museum to visit. The fossils were very well lit and easy to study. In researching this posting, some items to see while there are the Brasileodactylus sp. from Brazil and the 16th century Nantan meteorite found in China.

A Visit to the Academia das Ciências de Lisboa Museu Geológico in Portugal

After returning from the Academia das Ciências de Lisboa Museu Geológico in Lisbon, Portugal in August of 2026, this post is about that visit. My trip began walking from the hotel near to the waterfront to Lisbon Academy of Sciences which house this museum. The Academy was founded in 1779 and has been located at the former Convent of Our Lady of Jesus of the Third Order of San Franscisco (Rua da Academia das Ciências, no. 19) since 1834. The museum was created in 1859 and still retains furniture and interior design from that time period.

Six collections make up the museum: archeology, stratigraphy, paleontology, scientific instruments, mineralogy, and lithology. Five permanent exhibits are located there: 27 geological wonders, 100 millions years of Lisbon history, fossils of the past, Portugal before man, and Portugese Prehistory.

Archeology Room

 

Mineral Room

This aragonite mineral specimen from a pyrite mine in Preguica (Alentejo) looks like a coral. It was formed by calcium carbonate precipitation forming this stalactite.

 

Their crown jewel fossil is of a Portuguese stegosaurus Miragaia longicollum from Atouguia da Baleia, Peniche. Collected in 1958-59 by Geoges Zbyszewski (1909-1999). The specimen on display contains original fossil, casts, and 3D printed parts. The dinosaur lived in the Late Jurassic Period.

 This image is of a Roman bronze plate from the 1st century A.D. It was found in 1876 in a mine at Algares. The plate is Roman legislation listing the rules for public baths, proclamations, and payments to workers.

Paleontology Room

The fossil room has an extensive collection of Portuguese fossils from all of its geological time periods. The wall cabinets hold more specimens in labeled plastic bags. I would assume more fossils are stored below the display cabinets.

One stand out fossil was a super crocodile skull fossil Gavialosuchus americanus lusitanicus (Stellards). It was found Chelas (east of Lisbon) and lived about 15 mya (Miocene Epoch). Learn more at their website.

One treat was the view at the end of fossil room that had a small balcony. It had a lot of potted plants but one could see out over the city from the window. 

My visit was enjoyable and I got quite a bit of exercise walking the hilly route to and from the museum. Hopefully, future posts will highlight some of the more geological treasures on display there.

 

https://www.lneg.pt/en/geological-museum/ 

 

 

 

Knemiceras uhligi Ammonite Fossil

This picture is of a large (greater than 30 cm wide) Knemiceras uhligi (Choffat) ammonite fossil. It was found at Baforeira, Parde, Cascais, Portugal and dates to the Cretaceous Period (Albian, about 110 million years ago). As of August 2026 on display near front entrance of Academia das Ciências de Lisboa Museu Geológico in Portugal.