The Portuguese Settecento (18th century) constitutes a unique moment in the history of Portuguese collecting, especially for art galleries art in Lisbon. The art galleries of the Portuguese Royal House, the nobility (lords), and the ennobled bourgeoisie (in the last quarter of the 18th century) were endowed with paintings by excellent artists, some of whom represent the most emblematic periods in the history of national and European art. The works contained within these art galleries still fetch astronomical prices on the international art markets today. However, many of these collections have disappeared, due to various factors, ranging from natural disasters to the French invasions and the decline and fall of the families that owned them, and leading to the dispersion of a heritage representing a crucial legacy of Portuguese museum culture.