Ajuda National Palace
Manuel Caetano de Sousa, José da Costa e Silva, Francisco Xavier Fabi
19th c
© IGESPAR, Luís Pavão
Open Visits
Sunday: 10h-17h30
Regular Visits
Sunday: 11h30, 12h30, 13h30, 14h30, 15h30, 16h30
Tours
Sunday: 10h30 com Arq. Guilherme Pedrosa
No reservation required; first-come, first-served
Maximum 25 people per visit
Wheelchair access
Photography allowed
Description
Dating from the first half on the 19th century, this neoclassical building was designed as a royal palace in the aftermath of the 1755 earthquake and the destruction of Terreiro do Paço. Given the slow progress in construction, as well as the diminishing relevance of this program in the liberal period the country then witness, only half of the initial design was actually built. It became the official residence of the Portuguese royal family, from the reign of king Luís I until the end of the monarchy, in 1910. The scale and significance of the project meant collaborations with leading artists of the time, such as Domingos Sequeira, Machado de Castro and João José de Aguiar. Functioning as a museum since 1968, this national monument has retained, to this day, the original layout and decoration of the rooms, by architect Joaquim Possidónio da Silva.
Location
(Português) Largo da Ajuda
Directions: Google Maps / Apple Maps
Public Transport
Bus: (Português) 742, 760