Portuguese Royal Palaces, Castles and other Buildings

[Marengo]

This thread has been created to discuss and show all the places connected to royalty in Portugal, which can be a (former) palace, statue, castle's, etc. Have fun!

 

[magnik]

List of the palaces List of palaces - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
for example:
Belém Palace - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pena National Palace - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (I like him)

More here
Anexo:Lista de palácios de Portugal - Wikipédia

 

[Regina]

My favorite one:

Palácio de Queluz

It's a 18th-century palace located at Queluz (Sintra municipality), in the District of Lisbon.
One of the last great Rococo buildings to be designed in Europe,the palace was conceived as a summer retreat for Dom Pedro of Braganza. It served as a discreet place of incarceration for Queen Maria (his niece) as her descent into madness continued in the years following Dom Pedro's death in 1786.
Following the destruction by fire of the Ajuda Palace in 1794, Queluz Palace became the official residence of the Portuguese Royal Family until 1807.
Queluz's architecture is representative of the final extravagant period of Portuguese culture that followed the discovery of Brazilian gold in 1690. (Wikipedia)


(fotosearch.com) - Pics


As I said, it's my favorite Portuguese Palace. I spent there many saturdays with my grandfather, when I was a small child. I love every corner of this place!
D. Duarte and Dª Isabel chose this Palace for the gala dinner previous to their wedding, in 1995.

 

[Marengo]

Here some pictures I took of St. Jeronimus Cathedral in Belem, Lisbon where Dom Duarte and Isabel Heredia married. One of the pictures was taken from the top of the monument for the Discoveries, dispite my fear of hights!

 

[Marengo]

Picture 1: the impressive portal to the Cathedral:

Inside the cathedral are some graves of Portuguese royals. One of the tombs is empty as the place is reserved for King Dom Sebastao, who nver returned from the battle of the 4 Kings in Marocco. Named that way as 4 Kings died, among them King Sebastao. Still there was a legend in Portugal that the King wasn´t dead and would one day return. The tombs are supported by elephants:

 

[Marengo]

And a picture of the altar. As there isn´t too much light inside the cathedral the picture isn´t too succesfull:

 

[Regina]

One of the pictures was taken from the top of the monument for the Discoveries, dispite my fear of hights!

Ok, try to climb the portuguese Cristo-Rei (Almada) then
My history teacher was afraid of hights and when she went there with us, she almost died!

Great pictures, I liked this one very much:

 

[Regina]

Castle of Almourol

The Almourol Castle is situated in a small rocky island, in the middle of the Tagus River, in Portugal The castle was a Knights Templar stronghold used during the Reconquista.

The travel to the Castel is made by boat (10 minuts) and it costs around 5 euros/person.

I took the pictures this last summer:

1

2


View from the castle (to reach the top of it, you have to climb a loooot of narrow stairs!)

v1

v2

v3

v4

v5

 

[Regina]

Palácio da Pena, Sintra

Palácio da Pena, or "Castelo da Pena" as it is more commonly known, is the most complete and notable example of Portuguese architecture in the Romantic period. It stands on one of the rocky peaks of the Serra de Sintra, and blends in a surprisingly fortunate manner with its natural background of greenery and crags, testifying to the aesthetic potentialities of the project.

The Palace dates back to 1839, when the King Consort Dom Fernando II of Saxe Coburg-Gotha (1816-1885) bought the ruins of the Hieronymite Monastery of Nossa Senhora da Pena and started to adapt it for use as a residence, according to his Romantic taste.

As his director of the works, Baron von Eschwege put into effect the King's revivalist ideas and round the restored ruins of the monastery raised a majestic pastiche inspired by the palaces and castles of Bavaria. Fanciful to an extreme, the architectural fabric of Pena finds much of its inspiration in the Moorish, Gothic and Manueline motifs of Portuguese art, as well as in the Wagnerian spirit of the Schinkel Castles of Central Europe. It is to be noted that of the former 16th Century monastery there were preserved the Manueline cloister and the chapel, the latter with a celebrated Renaissance reredos by the sculptor Nicolau Chanterene.

From PortugalVirtual.pt

pic 1 pic 2

If you like to give looong walks and if you don't have anything better to do, you can avoid the car or the bus and climb all Serra de Sintra till you arrive the Palace... It's a not a very easy task but Serra de Sintra is not the Evarest . It's fantastic how your face skin looks so young when you arrive to the top of the Serra.

 

[Marengo]

Well, I have been to Sintra and the Palacio de Pena. One of the people in my group assured us that it was only a small walk from the village to the Castle, so we walked...and walked and walked and... for one hour and a half, up the mountain in bad shoes! Anyway, we ended up at a Moorish castle first, from wish we could see the Palacio de Pena. The picture I took was against the sun so it looks miserable but as I walked for 1 hour an a half I wanted the picture anyway. The Pena Palace is nice, especially the location. The rooms are rather depressing. Part of it was an old convent so the rooms are small and dark. And it was forbidden to make pictures inside. Anyway, here are a two of the outside:

 

[Regina]

Yeah, a small walk...

The Moorish Castle or Castelo dos Mouros

(olhares.com)

 

[Marengo]

Below in the last picture of Regina you can see the National Palace of Sintra. I took some pictures of it too, but I will only show the two I have without people on it, not very good.

Note the peculiar chimneys, which have become a symbol of the city.

The ceiling of one of the rooms:

More information here.

The facade of the palace

A courtyard

Overview

 

[Elsa M.]

Well, I have been to Sintra and the Palacio de Pena. One of the people in my group assured us that it was only a small walk from the village to the Castle, so we walked...and walked and walked and... for one hour and a half, up the mountain in bad shoes! Anyway, we ended up at a Moorish castle first, from wish we could see the Palacio de Pena.

Marengo, that happened to me too, first time I went to Sintra! We climbed, climbed and climbed... we were lost and we ended at the Moor Castle.
When we finally managed to arrive at Pena, I was so so tired, I didn't enjoy anything there... I was just worried about getting a taxi to come back again!...
I sweared that day I would never ever trust anyone who tells me "it's just a small walk"

 

[Marengo]

Well, we actually had to walk bac too, since one of the busses was stuk on the road down, and no traffic could pass. But it went ratehr quickly downwards, in 1/3 of the time or so.

Anyway, here a few pictures of the house where Prince D. Henriques was born (also Henri the Navigator) in Porto:

A plate above the door with some information, saly my knowledge of the Portuguese language is not sufficient to be able to translate it:

 

[Elsa M.]

A plate above the door with some information, saly my knowledge of the Portuguese language is not sufficient to be able to translate it

Nor would it be much of a help, since it's all written in Latin

Basically, it says that Infante D. Henrique was born here in 1394.

 

[paul1981]

Below is a brief description of the principal royal residences of the Portuguese Royal Family during the Braganca dynasty. I'll try to eventually upload some pictures.

Ribeira Palace (Lisbon)
This palace was the principal home of the royal family in Lisbon from 1511 until 1755. It stood on the waterfront where Commerce Square is today. It was destroyed by the earthquake in 1755 that destroyed most of the city that year.

Ajuda Palace (Lisbon)
After the earthquake the king was afraid to live in any masonry building and a giant wood structure was erected on this site. It burnt to the ground in 1794 and plans for a grand palace were conceived. Work on the new structure began in 1802 for a building that would have been twice the size of the current palace. Due to the French invasion and subsequent fleeing of the royal family to Brazil in 1807 work on the palace was halted. Although refurbished in the 1820s, the palace was never completed due to a lack of funds and or interest. King Luis I was the only monarch to use this as his official palace. It was redecorated by his wife Maria Pia of Savoy. She continued to live there after the king's death in 1889. However, the palace was still used for official receptions given by King Carlos I and King Manuel II. Queen Maria Pia remained here until she was forced to go into exile in 1910.

Necessidades Palace (Lisbon)
This was a convent that King Joao V had built in the 18th century. In 1834, all property of the religious orders in Portugal was confiscated. Subsequently this became the official residence of Queen Maria I and her son King Pedro V. With the outbreak of typhoid in 1861 that killed the King Luis' brothers he chose not to live here and moved into Ajuda instead. King Carlos I would move in here upon his accession to the throne in 1889. This was also the official residence of King Manuel II. Currently this palace is used as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Belem Palace (Lisbon)
Acquired by King Joao V in the 18th century, the palace underwent several alterations throughout the century. Queen Maria II lived here early in her reign whilst Necessidades was undergoing renovations. During the reign of King Luis, this palace was used as a home for visiting foreign dignitaries. After his marriage in 1886, this palace became home to Crown Prince Carlos and his wife Maria Amelia of Orleans. Upon his accession to the throne in 1889, it then reverted to it's previous role as a home for visiting foreign dignitaries. In 1905 Queen Amelia had the former royal riding ring turned into a museum for Portugal's royal coaches. In 1911 Belem Palace became the official residence of Portugal's presidents.

Bemposta Palace (Lisbon)
Acquired by Catherine of Braganca, Queen of England upon her return to Portugal in 1693, she lived here until her death in 1705. In 1707 King Joao V
had the property become part of the estate for the second son of the king. After suffering extensive damage in the earthquake of 1755, the palace was rebuilt in a neo-classical style. King Joao VI used this as his primary residence from 1803 until he fled to Brazil in 1807. He took up residence when he returned to Portugal in 1821 until his death in 1826. It 1834 the palace became crown property however it fell into disuse. In 1850 Queen Maria II gave the palace to the military. Today it serves as Portugal's Military Academy.

Imperial Palace of Rio de Janeiro
Built between 1738-1743, this palace housed the Governors of Rio de Janeiro and Viceroys of Brazil (after 1763). Upon the royal family's arrival in 1808, it became their official residence. It would become the Imperial Palace in 1822 upon Brazil's independence.

Quinta da Boa Vista or Palacio de Sao Cristovao (Rio de Janeiro)
A large home built in 1803, it was given to the Portuguese royal family in 1808. This became the royal family's primary residence during their thirteen-year stay in Rio. Enlarged after 1816, Queen Maria II was born here. It became the primary residence of the Brazilian Imperial Family after 1822.

Palace & Convent of Mafra (Mafra)
Built between 1717-1755, this massive convent was built by King Joao V with the wealth that Brazilian gold brought to his court. The royal palace is itself occupies a portion of the building and was used as a hunting lodge by the kings of Portugal. The huge Tapada de Mafra was a large royal hunting ground for deer. King Carlos had a small hunting lodge built on the grounds.

Palace of Queluz (Queluz)
A rococo style palace built from 1747-1786. The palace was the primary residence of Queen Maria I. King Joao VI also lived here from 1794-1803. Pedro IV died here in 1834 after having abdicated both his thrones. It was little used afterwards and in 1908 King Manuel II donated the palace to the Portuguese state.

Sintra Palace (Sintra)
A property of the Portuguese crown from 1383 onward, most of the palace dates from the late 15th and early 16th centuries during the reign of King Manuel I. Used as a summer palace by the royal family, it was renovated and expanded throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. Queen Maria Pia of Savoy the wife of King Luis, continued using the palace as her summer residence until 1910.

Pena Palace (Sintra)
The site of a 16th century convent, it was destroyed in 1755 by the earthquake that year with only the chapel surviving. Acquired by the crown in 1834, King-Consort Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg had a Romantic style palace built that is a mixture of styles. Completed in 1847, it was the property of the King-Consort until his death in 1885. He left the palace to his second wife the Countess of Edla who sold it to King Luis I in 1889. The palace became a summer residence for King Carlos I and Queen Amelia.

Bucaco Palace (Bucaco)
A former convent, this neo-Manueline palace was constructed during the reign of King Carlos I. It appears that King Manuel II decided to turn it into a hotel in 1910, whilst reserving apartments for himself. Today the Palace remains a hotel.

Ducal Palace (Vila Vicosa)
Ancestral home of the Dukes of Braganca, work on this palace began in 1502. It was used by the Bragancas throughout their reign as kings of Portugal as a home in the autumn. It was here that King Carlos I and Crown Prince Luis Filipe spent their last night in 1908 before returning to Lisbon and being assassinated.

 

[Elsa M.]

Not really a palace, nor a royal building... but I thought it would be nice to post here some photos of the house D. Duarte owns in Ferragudo (Portimão, Algarve), where they spend their summer vacations:

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/9031/ferragudoic9.jpg
http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/9044/ferragudoiiqf7.jpg
(scanned from Caras)

 

[Marengo]

Thanks Elsa! Does the Duke own the villa himself or is it owned by the Braganca foundation? I thought he only owned his house in Sintra (which was already somewhat controversial I believe to remember)

 

[Elsa M.]

Does the Duke own the villa himself or is it owned by the Braganca foundation? I thought he only owned his house in Sintra (which was already somewhat controversial I believe to remember)

The press states that this "villa" is owned by D. Duarte... last year, he made a complaint against the noise coming from the bars on the beach and he refered to it as being his own property... it's located on the bank of the river Arade.

The house in Sintra is owned by the Fundação Casa de Bragança, as far as I know...

 

[Marengo]

Didn't he buy the house in Sintra for a price that was under the market value, according to some? When the dictatorship fell I believe? Or am I mixing up villa's here?

 

[Elsa M.]

Didn't he buy the house in Sintra for a price that was under the market value, according to some? When the dictatorship fell I believe? Or am I mixing up villa's here?

Yes, you're getting the right villa... the house in Sintra was bought by the Foundation, right before the royal family was allowed to come back to Portugal.

This one, on the other hand, is in the Algarve. I believe it was bought just after the children were born, so that they could have a nice place to spend their holidays in family. Here's another couple of photos, from Flash magazine:

http://img501.imageshack.us/img501/1808/16872535c09d2csw1.jpg
http://img501.imageshack.us/img501/5966/16872536de2afdko2.jpg

 

[Elsa M.]

More photos of this Summer residence can be found in this link shared by Regina here:

Casa da Infanta

 

[JSP]

Yes, you're getting the right villa... the house in Sintra was bought by the Foundation, right before the royal family was allowed to come back to Portugal.

This one, on the other hand, is in the Algarve. I believe it was bought just after the children were born, so that they could have a nice place to spend their holidays in family. Here's another couple of photos, from Flash magazine:

http://img501.imageshack.us/img501/1808/16872535c09d2csw1.jpg
http://img501.imageshack.us/img501/5966/16872536de2afdko2.jpg

What a confusion you are elaborating:

1. The Villa in Sintra does not belong to Fundação da Casa de Bragança.
As far as I know there are none or very few relations between HRH and the Fundação.

Don't forget that Salazar "nationalized" the properties of the Bragança Saxe-Coburgs after D.Manuel II's death, depriving the Bragança branch of what they historically considered to belong to them.

And still today the relation is rather tense.

The house of Sintra belongs to D.Duarte himself.
It belonged to an old monarchic friend who was childless and was thinking of taking exile in Brazil after the 1974 revolution.

Therefore he offered the Manor to D.Duarte for a very cheap price.

Mind you, the ancient owner did not want the House occupied and vandalized as so many were at the time, he was in a hurry to leave, he knew D.Duarte was not a very wealthy man and as a good monarchic he preferred to sell it cheaper to someone who would respect the house.

The fact that the house was so cheap also reflects that it was not in a very good shape, Sintra being a very damp micro-climate area.

I know what I am talking about, I have a summer house in the neighbourhood .
When D.Duarte got married, a group of friends joined in and their present was a partial renovation of the house, roofs, pipes, paint, etc.

After all, it would be no longer a bachelor's "pied-à-terre", but the home of the future RF, with a wife and kids, and D.Duarte would have to receive and entertain more.



2. The House in Ferragudo, Algarve was left in inheritance to D.Duarte by his aunt Infanta D.Filipa, who lived the last years of her life there and died in the very same house.

I heard that it used to belong to one of Infanta D.Antónia's sons who left it or sold it to his aunt D.Filipa but I could not confirm the story.



3. The third property D.Duarte owns is Casa das Fidalgas in Santar.
It is ran by Infante D.Miguel who lives there most of the year.
I didn't know it was opened to the public.
This weekend I will be in that area, so I will try to pop in.

EX LIBRIS: CASA DAS FIDALGAS EM SANTAR

Nearby is the reputed Quinta da Viscondessa de Santar, famous for its wine cellars and lovely gardens.

 

[Elsa M.]

What a confusion you are elaborating

Elaborating... Well, of course there are relations between the Fundation and D. Duarte and there are actually several sources stating that two years after the Ban Law was abolished the royal family was presented with a residence by the Fundação Casa de Bragança. I don't have the time to look for it now, though you're probably right on that it's not the same house in Sintra after all.

About this house in the Algarve, I said it was probably owned just after the children were born, because we didn't see the family using it until very recent years, but we corrected the information in the current events thread, by saying that it was inherited from D. Duarte's aunt. The house was restored after 1990 and it was not used until recently.

 

[JSP]

Elaborating... Well, of course there are relations between the Fundation and D. Duarte and there are actually several sources stating that two years after the Ban Law was abolished the royal family was presented with a residence by the Fundação Casa de Bragança.

Not exactly.

When D.Manuel died, Salazar convinced D.Amélia and D.Augusta Victoria to abdicate their rights to (most) of D.Manuel's legacy and with all those estates, he created the Fundação da Casa de Bragança.

D.Duarte Nuno protested against that as the Casa de Bragança was the last Morgadio that had survived the Liberal Revolution and should be kept in the family.

Naturally Salazar paid him no attention and just throw the Duke a candy by ordering the Fundação to provide alodgings for the RF when the Ban Law was passed.

That's why the RF lived in Paço de S.Marcos near Coimbra, an estate belonging to the Fundação, where D.Duarte stayed by grace of Salazar.

He did not own the Paço and, after the 1974 revolution, the very revolutionary comitee that took over the Fundação, occuppied the Paço and D.Duarte was forced to leave in 1975.

At a certain time (could not find when) the portugese State bought the Paço and gave it to the University of Coimbra, who still owns it.

PROSPECTO DA UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA 2000-2001

 

[Elsa M.]

King D. Carlos bed and work rooms, at Palácio das Necessidades (photos from the early 20th century):

http://hemerotecadigital.cm-lisboa....9_1900/N3/N3_master/JPG/N3_0008_branca_t0.jpg

 

[Portugal]

King D. Carlos bed and work rooms, at Palácio das Necessidades (photos from the early 20th century):

http://hemerotecadigital.cm-lisboa....9_1900/N3/N3_master/JPG/N3_0008_branca_t0.jpg

Thank you so much Elsa M for all your hard work!Keep it up I will always read and always look for your wonderful contribution!

 

[Regina]

That's indeed a very good link, Elsa! How interesting to see his bed and work rooms, and the article is very well written. It says King D. Carlos decorated the rooms himself. Well, he was an Artist after all

 

[Menarue]

I don´t know if this has been mentioned before but it is a little standing joke here in Portugal that the Palace shown in Elsa´s post has the translation "The Palace Of Necessities) and in Lisbon there is a cemetery called "The Cemetery of Pleasure" all coincidence of course but amusing...
I saw an exhibition once of D.Carlos´s watercolours and he was a very talented artist.

 

[marlene]

I went to Sintra in March and it was very beautiful.Our guide told us that The dukes of Braganza lived nearby but we never saw their house.Does anyone have a photo of it?