The Palace of Raio ( pt, Palácio do Raio) is a
Baroque era residence in the urbanized area of the
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
of
Braga
Braga ( , ; cel-x-proto, Bracara) is a city and a municipality, capital of the northwestern Portuguese district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality has a resident population of 193,333 inhabitants (in ...
, in the
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authorit ...
of
São José de São Lázaro. It is an example of the late Baroque, early Rococo style of decoration by
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
architect
André Soares, notable for his influence in the northern Baroque movement.
History
The construction of this ornate palace was ordered by João Duarte de Faria, a knight of the Order of Christ, who was a rich merchant.
The commission was given to André Soares in 1754–1755, an architect already famous in the Braga region for his artistic and engineering projects.
Soares reformulate the style first introduced to Porto by Nasoni, basing his interpretations on French-German sketches, ''"one of the expressions more distinct and powerful of the European Rococo"''.[ His work is characterized by the monumental nature of its forms, and for his use of natural elements in the decorative sculptures that permeate the design including the shells, jars, wreaths and garlands.][ These elements show the influence of the Augsburg sketches, or the Frenchman Meissonier, among others. In the context of Portuguese art, André Soares was part of the end of the Baroque period, and beginning of the Rococo; his style used the structure of the Baroque, but the decorative style of the Rococo.][ André Soares had worked on the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus and the Church of Santa Maria Madalena da Falperra, and the Raio Palace is seen as an extension of the ''"feative character of Falperra"''.][
In 1760, the staircase was painted.][
A century later, the residence was acquired by Miguel José Raio, then Viscount of São Lázaro (in 1867), thus, over time, becoming known as the ''Palace of Raio''.][
The ''Escola Profissional de Recuperação do Património de Sintra'' (''Professional School for Recuperation of Sintra Patrimony'') intervened in 1993 to repair the doors and windows on this first floor.][ The group was responsible for repairing the wood frames, cleaning of the stone from damage caused by humidity, completing moulds, installation of artificial stoneworks, reinforcing the structure with cement and reintegration of many of the sculptures.][ Matos Sequeira, an archeologist, once referred to the facade as similar to a piece of furniture from the court of ]Louis XV
Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached ...
.[
]
Architecture
The building is located in the urban context of Braga, situated alongside the Hospital of São Marcos and the pavilion sheltering the Fountain of the Idol.[
It is a singular block, in the Baroque-style, constructed during the reign of King John V.][ The palace is a two-storey buildings, consisting of several three-doors on the main floor, flanked by ornate framed windows, and the second-floor consisting of several windows and balconies.][ The roof is topped by a ]veranda
A veranda or verandah is a roofed, open-air gallery or porch, attached to the outside of a building. A veranda is often partly enclosed by a railing and frequently extends across the front and sides of the structure.
Although the form ''vera ...
of balusters, with ornate vegetal pinnacles.
Over the main portal, deeply indented, is a sumptuous balcony of balusters, flanked by two decorative sculptures.[ The lintel over this second-floor balcony is monolithic.][ Its cornice, which is exceptionally recessed, and crowned by a balustrade consisting of six flaming sculptures, while four blazing ]amphorae
An amphora (; grc, ἀμφορεύς, ''amphoreús''; English plural: amphorae or amphoras) is a type of container with a pointed bottom and characteristic shape and size which fit tightly (and therefore safely) against each other in storag ...
on its flanks over an Ionic pilaster
In classical architecture, a pilaster is an architectural element used to give the appearance of a supporting column and to articulate an extent of wall, with only an ornamental function. It consists of a flat surface raised from the main wal ...
s frame.[
The main floor is embellished by frames of carved granite, and the outline of the wrought iron balconies. Apart from the main entrance, are two lateral doorways (all of which are painted in complementary blue).][ While the facade is covered in ]azulejo
''Azulejo'' (, ; from the Arabic ''al- zillīj'', ) is a form of Spanish and Portuguese painted tin-glazed ceramic tilework. ''Azulejos'' are found on the interior and exterior of churches, palaces, ordinary houses, schools, and nowadays, r ...
tile (and installed in the 19th century), the whole building is built from fine-grained granite.[ On the landing, the azulejos were likely executed by Bartolomeu Antunes, owing to the different interpretations of the Rococo: one more traditional, from a workshop in Lisbon; and another, which predominates a northern agitation, from Braga.][
This residence is considered one of the most important public works of André Soares, presenting a facade that is profusely decorated, where the general symmetry contrasts with the asymmetries introduced by the windows.][ This is particularly true of the central section, which is similar to the models utilized in the Church of Falperra and Municipal Council building of Braga: all which have similar traits.][ The window over the main doorway connects a curved pediment, which reminds the viewer of the Church of Santa Maria Madalena, although highly projected from the rest of the facade.][ As Vitor Serrão mentions in his critique, it is across ''"the sensual and powerful sense of deconstruction that the openings almost announce the art of one Gaudi"'', and the building ''"imposes a newness and display, within a sensual Rococo rhythm to the noble staircase like an inviting exotic figure."''][
In the interior, is the noble staircase, with three arches and sculpture of a Turk, comparable to the four statues in the esplanade of the Church of Bom Jesus, who Smith attributes to André Soares (even if they were executed by masons José and António de Sousa.][Robert C. Smith (1973), p. 505]
See also
* List of Baroque residences
This is a list of Baroque architecture, Baroque palaces and Residenz, residences built in the late 17th and 18th centuries. Baroque architecture is a building style of the Baroque, Baroque era, begun in late 16th-century Italy and spread in Europe ...
Notes
Sources
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* {{citation , first=Vitor , last=Serrão , location=Lisbon, Portugal , title=O Barroco , year=2003 , language=Portuguese
Houses completed in 1754
Buildings and structures in Braga
Palaces in Portugal
Baroque architecture in Portugal
1754 establishments in Portugal
Museums in Braga
Museums established in 2015