Museum of the Presidency of the Republic – Symbols of the Republic

In October 1910, after several secret meetings and failed conspiracies, the Portuguese Republican Party scheduled the start of the revolution for the early hours of 4 October 1910.

Zero Hour of the Republic

Oil Painting “October 5th Revolution Allegory”

José de Brito (1855-1946). Portugal, c. 1911. Oil on canvas [On Loan from Faculty of Fine Arts of Porto]

In a joint action with the masons and the Carbonari, civilian and military supporters were recruited from different areas of society, particularly the navy, which played an important role in the sequence of events that followed.

Second Lieutenant José Mendes Cabeçadas Júnior surrounded by the sailors of the cruiser Adamastor.

October 1910. Photograph

On the night of 3 October, the ships charged with sending out one of the signals of the revolution had anchored off the banks of the river Tagus. On board the Adamastor, Second Lieutenant José Mendes Cabeçadas Júnior, the leader of the uprising on that cruiser, checked his pocket watch – it was 1 ơclock in the morning on 4 October 1910 – and gave the order to fire the cannons that triggered the Republican Revolution.

José Mendes Cabeçadas Júnior’s pocket watch

Longines (manufacturer). Switzerland, 1906. Gold, silver and glass

The watch shown in the exhibition – a personal item belonging to Admiral Mendes Cabeçadas – is symbolically set to the Zero Hour of the Republic and the beginning of a new period in the history of Portugal.

The monarchy, which offered little resistance, was readily defeated and the Republic was proclaimed in Lisbon on the morning of 5 October 1910.

A New Republic Was Born

The establishment of the Republic in 1910 was a moment of great expectations. Republicans brought new ideals with them and an ambitious project of national revival, which they believed should begin with the adoption of new national symbols.

Personal Belongings of António José de Almeida

From left:

• Spectacles – belonging to António José de Almeida
• High hat (a cartola) – The high hat is part of the gentleman’s costume for much of the early 20th century (until about 1930). Almeida was photographed frequently in one of them.
• Sterilisation boxes for syringes and other medical-surgical instruments – Almeida studied medicine at the University of Coimbra and became a medical doctor. He practiced in Africa before returning to Lisbon and became a specialty of tropical diseases.
• Stereoscope – Invented in 1838 by physicist Charles Weatstone, this instrument served to see stereoscopic images/photographs and worked as follows: a pair of images of the same scene was placed on the device that, seen simultaneously on the binocular viewfinder (the stereoscope), produced the illusion of a 3-dimensional image. Of mainly recreational use, it was also used in medicine to test the capacity of stereoscopic vision, that is, the perception of depth. In the personal archive of António José de Almeida there is a significant set of stereoscopic images (glass), such as the example presented here, which portrays his arrival in Congress, accompanied by President Epitácio Pessoa, during the trip to Brazil in 1922.

National Flag

A mere five days after the revolution, the Provisional Government appointed a committee to study the question of a new flag. The new national flag was to be green and red, the colours of the Republican banners that were spontaneously hoisted during the early hours of the revolution.

According to the committee, these colours were justified by their symbolism: red being a warm, combative colour reminiscent of blood and victory; and green being the colour of hope, associated with progress and the future. Superimposed on this coloured background are various traditional elements that recall Portugal’s history: the Manueline armillary sphere, the symbol of the Portuguese Discoveries; a coat of arms containing five shield and seven castles, all of which evoke the founding of the nation.

National Anthem

A Portuguesa (The Portuguese), which was chosen by the republicans to replace the royal anthem, was composed by Alfredo Keil (music) and Henrique Lopes de Mendonça (lyrics).

This composition was created twenty years prior to the republican revolution as a form of protest against the British Ultimatum (January 1890), an event that had wounded national pride. It quickly became popular and was played and sung at various occasions, from street festivals to national theatres. Later, it was appropriated by the republican movement, which gave it a subversive connotation.

A Portuguesa was played during the republican military rebellion in Porto in January 1891, and on 5 October 1910, the victorious republican forces paraded down Avenida da Liberdade in Lisbon to the sound of this march. Unsurprisingly, it was adopted as the national anthem by the new regime.

About the Museum of the Presidency of the Republic

Meet the Presidents of the Republic and their official residence, the Palace of Belém. Museu da Presidência da República (MPR), as it is called in Portuguese, is housed in the Palácio de Belém’s old coach house.

The history of the development of the republic in Portugal is detailed in chronological order. With oil portraits, personal items and various documents illustrating the history and career of each of the presidents of the Portuguese republic, the museum presents all of the heads of state that have marked the country’s 20th century.

Permanent Exhibitions at the MPR

• Implementation of the Republic and National Symbols
• The Republic and its Presidents and Portrait Gallery
• State Visits and Gifts
• Powers of the President of the Republic
• Honorary Orders
• Belém Palace

Operating Hours

• Tuesday to Friday, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Access is only allowed up to 30 minutes before closing.
• Closed every Monday, New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, May 1st and Christmas

Museu da Presidencia da Republica
Palacio Nacional de Belem 1349-022, Lisbon, Portugal
Tel : +351 21 361 4660

Visited Aug 2023

@museupr