In 1863, royal architect, Joaquim Passidónio da Silva, founded the Portuguese Civil Architects Association, from which the Association of Portuguese Archaeologists was created.

About one year later, in 1864, the Carmo Archaeological Museum was installed there for the storage and display of important sculptures from old ruined buildings (particularly from the monastic houses which were closed in 1834), and items which were part of the temple itself and were found among the rubble.

During the 19th and 20th centuries, MAC incorporated a series of pieces of historical, archaeological and artistic importance from many different chronological ages, with artefacts and works, which date from Pre-History to the present day and show the way people have thought and felt in different areas of culture through the ages.