The Museum of the Roman Theatre /Archaeological Field and Monument, is inserted in an urban fabric of predominantly Pombaline matrix implanted on the slope of The Castle Hill, between Rua da Saudade and Rua Augusto Rosa, Rua de S. Mamede and Pátio de Aljube, on a route between the Castle of São Jorge and the Tagus River.

The Museum of Lisbon, Teatro Romano is constituted by the archaeological complex as a continuous of traces and musealized areas, organized by open and closed routes, achieved through a conception whose objective was to avoid hurting the historical urban network with the aim of promoting the knowledge of the “History of the City” and the importance of Romanization in the urban matrix of Lisbon and its cultural identity.

The 1st Phase of intervention – 1998/2000 – had as general assumptions, function as a scientific observatory for the dissemination and monitoring of the new intervention in the field, space that currently corresponds to “Central Nave do Museu”, predisposed for the development and dissemination of research and conservation work of the archaeological complex, also functioning as an exhibition area of the estate recovered in the various archaeological campaigns.

The 2nd Phase Requalification Project – 2011/2014 – made it possible to enable a number of relevant factors whose objective was to achieve the success and viability of the intervention (underlying already in phase 1), so that the set of buildings that define the Museum, become an integral part of the accessible route of the city, allowing the visitor to enjoy direct contact with archaeological structures, as well as to obtain a better interiorization of the configuration of the Roman Theatre and the origin of the findings exposed in the musealized area.

The great challenge of the 2011 intervention was the resolution within the Museum/Archaeological Field of the abatement of architectural barriers, which was achieved through the conception of horizontal and vertical connections placed at the different levels (altimetry and floors) that make up the Museum, namely the insertion of a closed-box lift platform and the construction of walkways distributed to the various levels of the Archaeological Field, which also allows access on the different Floors of the Exhibition Areas of the Museum. These walkways, in some cases had to be carried out over traces ensuring in this way visitors have a greater approximation and visibility to them.

New connections: walkways and lifting platform access to the entire museological complex without architectural barriers, communications with the different activities of the Museum – temporary and permanent exhibitions – direct communication of visitors with the Archaeological camp site.

The “New Museum Program” defined the Entrance to the Museum next to Rua de São Mamede. Composed of a service area and shop, through this sector it is accessed the lifting platform, the outdoor terrace with splendid views to the South and “Casa de Fresco”, privileged places for contemplation of the city landscape, not being less stunning the view back North and West, where the gaze will turn to plots of the magnificent archaeological structures.

Through the Lobby/Service/Shop are located the access staircase to the attic (technical areas) and the staircase connecting to Floor -1) of admission to the “mezzanine” of the Central Hall (expository zone), which in turn leads us through another vertical link to Floor -2, in the area of the Museum that indicates to us the Archaeological Field, where the pubic, as mentioned above, will be in direct contact with a portion of the history of the past : The city of Olisipo.

The circulation system of the Museum, develops in five levels, ranging between the altimetric elevations of 53.80m and 40.62m:

– Floor 0, Main Entrance, Rua de São Mamede (altimetric elevation = 49.12m);

– Floor -1, access between Archaeological Camp and Expositive areas (altimetric elevation = 43.88m);

– Floor -2, access between Archaeological Field and Exhibition Areas Museum (altimetric elevation = 40.64m);

– Floor 1, technical area with restricted access (altimetric elevation = 53.80m);

But although currently the Museum of Lisbon Teatro Romano is operating in full, it will not end in this intervention (Phase 2), because much work will still be necessary to develop in order to settle down this area of the city, given the existence of considerable/consistent complexity both at the archaeological/architectural level – and urban/landscape.