Museu da Marioneta

The historic 17th-century Convento das Bernardes in Lapa is home to the delightfully eccentric puppet museum, the only one of its kind in Portugal. The fascination and diverse collection of colourful marionettes includes examples from 17th- and 18th-century Portuguese theatre and opera – the museum is dedicated to the interpretation and dissemination of the history of puppets and puppet theatre. The exhibits are all finely handcrafted and attired in beautiful costumes, miniature works of art of the stringed, gloved and stick varieties. The collection also features mannequins from across Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia. There's a separate gallery displaying an array of fantastic masks, some with extraordinarily delicate features, others with gruesome and contorted faces.