Academy of Sciences of Lisbon

The Academy of Sciences of Lisbon stands in the Bairro Alto district of Lisbon, occupying a building that has housed the institution since 1834. Founded in 1779 by the Duke of Lafões and José Correia da Serra, it began as a national academy to advance learning and science. The academy took over archives from the earlier Royal Academy of Portuguese History, which had operated since 1720. It gained royal patronage in 1783 under Queen Maria I, becoming the Royal Academy of Sciences. Domenico Vandelli played a key role in its early organisation. Today it remains Portugal’s leading scientific authority and official regulator of the Portuguese language. The academy is organised into two classes: Sciences and Letters, each with 30 full members and 60 corresponding members across six sections. It holds membership in international bodies such as the International Council for Science and the European Science Foundation. The library, formed from the union of the academy’s collection with that of the Convent of Jesus, is one of Portugal’s most important. It contains around one million items, including rare books, manuscripts, and the country’s largest collection of Arabic manuscripts. Works by Kepler, Newton, Linnaeus, and Buffon form part of its holdings. Visitors to the academy find a neoclassical building in Bairro Alto that reflects its long history. The library offers quiet study spaces and access to historic collections, including incunabula and early scientific works. The academy’s halls display portraits of its founders and early members. The Class of Letters oversees the Portuguese language, while the Class of Sciences promotes research in the sciences. The building itself, once part of a convent, retains architectural features from the 18th century.