Rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...

architecture entered

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

through the north, while Lisbon, due to the court pomp, remained in the Baroque. It is an architecture that follows the international taste in decoration, and, as a result of the contrast between dark granite and white walls, has a clearly Portuguese profile. The decoration is naturalist, based mainly in shells and leaves but also with architectural elements and sculpture. Pilgrimage places became fashionable, often built in places of rough prominence, allowing impressive staircases of big scenographic effect. André Soares worked in the region 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 ...

, and produced some of the main examples such as Falperra Church,

Congregados Basilica The Congregados Basilica in Portuguese language, Portuguese, Igreja dos Congregados is a Portugal, Portuguese 18th-century baroque Basilica in Braga, Portugal. The church, a project from the architect André Soares (architect), André Soares, is ...

, the

Braga City Hall The Braga Town Hall (in Portuguese ''Paços do Concelho de Braga'') is a landmark building located in Sé parish in the heart of Braga, Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a ...

, and Raio Palace, among many others. The number of buildings and architects is large and, because the north of Portugal was spared from the ravages of the

1755 Lisbon earthquake The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon earthquake, impacted Portugal, the Iberian Peninsula, and Northwest Africa on the morning of Saturday, 1 November, Feast of All Saints, at around 09:40 local time. In combination with ...

, there is a large number of buildings. In the south, as a result of the lower population density, the court taste and also of the consequence of the

earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, fr ...

there are fewer rococo buildings. But there still remain many examples such as the

Palace of Queluz The Palace of Queluz ( pt, Palácio de Queluz, ) is an 18th-century palace located at Queluz, a city of the Sintra Municipality, in the Lisbon District, on the Portuguese Riviera. One of the last great Rococo buildings to be designed in Europ ...

. Designed by Mateus Vicente de Oliveira, it became the residence of the royal family under the reign of Queen

Maria I , succession = Queen of Portugal , image = Maria I, Queen of Portugal - Giuseppe Troni, atribuído (Turim, 1739-Lisboa, 1810) - Google Cultural Institute.jpg , caption = Portrait attributed to Giuseppe Troni, , reign ...

. Made according to the French taste for prince Dom Pedro, King

José José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced ...

’s brother, it is characterized by good taste and elegance. It boasts Rococo gardens and water games in a large park. The interior is decorated with paintings, sculptures, mirrors,

tile Tiles are usually thin, square or rectangular coverings manufactured from hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, baked clay, or even glass. They are generally fixed in place in an array to cover roofs, floors, walls, edges, or o ...

, and

gilded woodcarving Wood carving is one of the oldest arts of humankind. Wooden spears from the Middle Paleolithic, such as the Clacton Spear, reveal how humans have engaged in utilitarian woodwork for millennia. However, given the relatively rapid rate at which ...

. The chapel, as a result of the junction of carved wood, marble and coloured stones, reflects a classical taste unusual in the Portuguese Rococo. The building received subsequent extensions during the neoclassical period. Lisbon’s main Rococo church, the

Estrela Basilica The Estrela Basilica ( pt, Basílica da Estrela ) or the Royal Basilica and Convent of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus ( pt, Real Basílica e Convento do Santíssimo Coração de Jesus), is a minor basilica and ancient carmelite convent in Lisbo ...

, is the last major Rococo building in the city, showing the influence of

Palace of Mafra The Palace of Mafra ( pt, Palácio de Mafra), also known as the Palace-Convent of Mafra and the Royal Building of Mafra (), is a monumental Baroque and Neoclassical palace-monastery located in Mafra, Portugal, some 28 kilometres from Lisbon. Co ...

, but has also undeniable similarities with

Pombaline style The Pombaline style was a Portuguese architectural style of the 18th century, named after Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, the first Marquês de Pombal, who was instrumental in reconstructing Lisbon after the earthquake of 1755. Pombal super ...

churches, particularly in the front. The elegant towers and dome cannot hide the Pombaline style vocabulary at the façade, despite the sculpture and relieves. The interior is covered with traditional Baroque coloured marbles.

See also