Roman Theater

The Museum of Lisbon invites the most curious to take part in a workshop inspired by the world of television programs, but with a very special twist: we're in Ancient Rome!

What did the Romans eat? How did they cook without a stove? Were there also snacks and desserts? In this practical and creative experience, participants become real Roman chefs, exploring surprising ingredients, historical recipes and gastronomic curiosities from two thousand years ago. All this with team spirit, creativity and a touch of spectacle!

At the end, each apprentice will take away a "Roman recipe book" to continue to amaze at home. It's time to put on your robe and enter this kitchen of the past!

Curator André Murraças hosts this guided tour of the exhibition installation Classical Myths, Affections and Sexualities, about stories from the mythology and everyday life of Classical Antiquity.

Throughout the visit, participants are invited to learn about passionate myths, such as those of Ganymede and Zeus or Apollo and Hyacinth, interpreting pieces from the Museum of Lisbon - Roman Theatre collection, classical texts and contemporary references.

There are 21 authors who, through articles dedicated to the Roman era, pay tribute to Eurico de Sepúlveda, the most unlikely of archaeologists.

An economist by profession, his premature retirement led him to look for new interests and he found them in archaeology and the study of Roman ceramics. A renowned archaeologist with numerous published articles, Eurico was a constant collaborator with the Roman theater in Lisbon. It is for this reason, but also for his human qualities, that we pay tribute to him in what is the seventh volume of the magazine published by this institution: Revista Scaena.

The 272 pages are packed with information and also include some testimonies from people who were very close to him, in a simple tribute to an archaeologist who shared his knowledge with the team at the Museum of Lisbon - Roman Theatre.

This first Bacchus Hour of 2026 has a special character, with the Lisboa Cultura Choir, a project that brings together the voices of people who belong to Lisboa Cultura-EGEAC. Musical pieces of different types and geographical origins will be performed.

musical direction maestro Luís Almeida

On the last Thursday of every month, the archaeological site of Lisbon's Roman Theatre is transformed into a different stage. Welcoming different musicians with different sounds, this activity is complemented by a tasting of wines from the Setúbal region sponsored by the Cooperativa Agrícola de Santo Isidro de Pegões, enjoying the magnificent view over the Tagus from the museum's terrace.

Among sculptures, ceramics and architectural elements, this visit invites you to enjoy a privileged view over the River Tagus.

The exhibition at the Museum of Lisbon - Roman Theatre and its archaeological site reveal the history of one of the most emblematic monuments of Felicitas Iulia Olisipo.

On this visit, in order to understand the city in Roman times, a Portuguese Sign Language interpreter joins the Museum's mediation team to foster the conditions for full enjoyment of the heritage.
 

Light has always been with us, even when we didn't know how to make, preserve or use it. The history of mankind, our history, is made up of light and its absence, and everything we do conforms to this premise.

This small exhibition looks at the evolution of objects used to illuminate our lives, from the lamps of Roman times and the 8th century to medieval lamps, culminating in the electric bulb and LED strips.

Through a series of pieces, we follow the technical, aesthetic and symbolic transformations of these objects, reflecting changes in lifestyles, the materials used and the relationship between societies and light.

Opening: February 3 at 18:00. Free entry, subject to capacity.

Since time immemorial, light has represented power and control over darkness, so much so that today it is almost impossible to think of a world without light. In the past, this need led to the creation of objects to protect this precious commodity, which during Roman times became known as lucernas.

By Carolina Grilo

Relive a Roman festival with a show, historical entertainment and other surprises.

Originally a shepherds' festival dedicated to the god of fertility, the Lupercalia ceremonies, which took place on February 15, involved cleansing and purification, as only the purest men could approach the deities. The tradition of this festival continued over time and, with Christianity, the ancient pagan festival did not disappear. It was incorporated and allowed into the Christian world, becoming a festival of extravagance and freedom that took place before Advent and Easter.

Chef Maria Caldeira de Sousa has created a special menu inspired by the roots of this tradition.

In this creative workshop, families are challenged to explore the carnival masks used in Roman times and create their own versions, painting clay masks full of expression.

But this isn't just any workshop, it's a unique opportunity to be part of the history of the Lisbon Museum! At the end, each participant will be able to leave their mask, contributing to a large collective exhibition wall, on display during the month of July, alongside the classical theater season.

Come and create, imagine and participate as artists in an exhibition made by everyone, where each mask tells a story! At the end, all the masks will be returned to their creators.

The importance of the star-king for humans, as a source of energy, regulator of time and natural cycles, on which all life depends, has been witnessed since prehistoric times through cave paintings.

In Greek philosophy, in Plato's Allegory of the Cave (The Republic, Book VII), the passage from shadows to light represents man's liberation from ignorance and the difficult ascent to knowledge, achieved through reason. However, light, although revealing, can initially dazzle those who approach it.

In the myth of Prometheus, narrated by authors such as Hesiod (Theogony) and developed by Aeschylus (Prometheus in Chains), fire - the earthly manifestation of divine light - is stolen from the gods and offered to men. This act, liberating for humans, is simultaneously taken as a gesture of transgression by the "Father of the Gods" and Prometheus is punished and chained, suffering eternally.

The succession of night and day, a metaphor for the triumph of light over darkness, finds a symbolic echo in various traditions and is poetically evoked by Mozart in the opera The Magic Flute.

By archaeologist Filomena Barata

Manel and Chico discover the Roman Theater is a children's book that tells us a surprising story about this 2,000-year-old monument.

Through this story, written by Bruno Magina and illustrated by Francisca Ramalho, we learn about the troubled discovery of the Roman theater by two friends in the distant year of 1798.
 

Drawing together is a great way to get to know each other and also to get to know ourselves. Drawing can be a vehicle for emancipation, belonging and raising awareness.

The Lisbon Drawing Club is a community of live model drawing lovers who meet regularly to draw and socialize. Based on the principles of Community, Inclusion, Practice and Fun, they have been organizing weekly meetings in different cultural/social venues in Lisbon since May 2021. They are interested in working with a diversity of models that reflect the richness of our social heritage and encourage a practice of empathy, working with a plurality of bodies, gestures and identities represented by professional models, artists, folk groups, migrants, LGBTQI+ people, seniors, inhabitants of different neighborhoods and others. They organize monthly drawing classes(Masterclasses) with guest artists

Inspired by their Mediterranean musical heritage, this ensemble presents a repertoire based on Iberian, oriental and Jewish sounds. Made essentially from a perfect combination of voice and Portuguese guitar, this duo's music evokes, according to them, "ancestral sounds with a contemporary approach".

voice Sofia Sousa Claro

portuguese guitar Hugo Claro
 

Hora de Baco 
On the last Thursday of every month, there is live music and wine tasting at the Lisbon Museum - Roman Theater. The Museum honors the Roman god Bacchus with an evening dedicated to live music, in the museum or at the archaeological site, accompanied by a privileged view of Lisbon and a glass of wine. Support from the Santo Isidro de Pegões Agricultural Cooperative.

On this visit, we see material testimonies and uncover ways of life, ending by the river, an area where real fish preparation factories and amphora warehouses used to accumulate.

The meeting point is the Roman Theater, where comedies and tragedies were performed on festive days, and then we head down the hill.