Palaces and Historic Houses
Palaces and Historic Houses
☰Alentejo
Palaces and Historic Houses
Set between the Santa Barbara garden and Praça do Municipio is the Archiepiscopal Court (Paço Arquiepiscopal), one of Braga's most significant historic buildings. The palace is in fact is a set of three interconnected buildings each with its own character reflecting the different styles and periods in which they were built.
The oldest section of the building is the medieval Gothic style Eastern wing which looks out over the Santa Barbara Garden. This castellated granite section dates to the 14th and 15th centuries. Built during the time of archbishops Gonçalo Pereira and Fernando...
Also known as the Alfândega Velha (Old Customs House), this is the house which, in 1394, Prince Henry the Navigator was born in (or Infante D. Henrique as he was known locally).
The restored interior is now home to a museum with a diverse range of exhibitions chronicling both the life of Prince Henry the Navigator and the Discoveries along with Porto's role in this era of Portuguese history. Other topics covered include the Roman occupation during the 4th-5th centuries and the buildings life as a customs house and mint.
Many of the...
bgnauka
This lavish, gothic-style mansion, set in equally fascinating grounds is close to the historic centre of Sintra. Known locally as the “palace of Monteiro the millionaire”, the estate was bought by Antonio Carvalho Monteiro, an altruistic, if rather eccentric entomologist with a fascination for all things esoteric. With the help of Italian architect Luigi Manini, he set about transforming the villa and surrounding estate into the intriguing place we see today.
The Regaleira Palace itself is built in the Neo-Manueline architectural style;...
IPPA/Jose Manuel
The Sintra National Palace sits in the historic town of Sintra, about 10 kilometres north of the Portuguese capital of Lisbon. It is the only royally-owned medieval palace in Portugal which has survived until the present day. This is the place which Portuguese Royals would have called home for more of their history than anywhere else; they resided here from its construction in the early 15th century until the late 19th century.
Originally this was the site of a Moorish palace dating back to the time when North African Muslims dominated the...
IPPA/António Sacchetti
No visit to Sintra would be complete without spending some time marvelling at the enchanting Palacio Nacional da Pena. This canary-yellow and terracotta coloured former palace is perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the town and is an eclectic mix of different styles of architecture which somehow or other manage to blend beautifully together.
In the 16th century the building that stood here was a relatively humble monastery, dedicated to the Order of Saint Jerome and housing only 18 monks. The monastery was all but flattened by the powerful...
IPPAR
19th century neoclassical palace on the edge of Lisbon in Ajuda. The palace was built as the royal residence and has the lavish interior to prove it.
15th century residence of Afonso, Count of Barcelos, the future Dukes of Braganca. Now a National Monument, after years of ruin the palace has been restored to its former glory
felipeyerabarchi
This exotic palace was Built in 1858 for English nobleman, Sir Francis Cook. The Moghul-inspired features are not out of place alongside other examples Romanticism in Sintra
The former royal Palace of Belém is now the official residence of the Portuguese president. The faded pink palace is guarded by sentries in traditional uniform and is generally not open to the public, although there is a small museum (Museu da Presidência da Republica) dedicated to the history of the Portuguese republic and its presidents attached.
The palace is situated on a small hill near the centre of the Belem district and is made up of an L-shaped structure with 5 main buildings and formal gardens.
The original structure was built in the 16th century and in 1723 King...
Built in the Baroque and neoclassical style the enormous palace / monastery dwarfs the town of Mafra. At the time of its construction in the 18th century this was one of the largest buildings in Europe
Albufeira
Cascais
