HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Belém Palace (), formally the National Palace of Belém, (), is the current
official residence An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless of whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority (either their own or that of th ...
of the president of the Portuguese Republic, the head of state of
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
. Located in the Belém District of
Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
, the palace's main façade fronts the Afonso de Albuquerque Square, facing the Tagus River. A former residence of the
Portuguese royal family The Most Serene House of Braganza (), also known as the Brigantine dynasty (''dinastia Brigantina''), is a dynasty of emperors, kings, princes, and dukes of Portuguese people, Portuguese origin which reigned in Europe and the Americas. The hous ...
, the Belém Palace complex is made up of various buildings, wings, courtyards, and gardens, built variously from the 18th to 21st centuries.


History

The site was originally part of the ''Outeiro das Vinhas'', a property that fronted the beach of the Tagus River. D. Manuel of Portugal, a diplomat and poet who was the son of the 1st Count of Vimioso, acquired the land in 1559, naming it ''Quinta de Belém'' and constructing a building with three salons and two atria. By the mid-17th century the property was linked to a
scion Scion may refer to: Horticulture *Scion (grafting), in horticulture, the upper part of a combined plant Arts, entertainment, and media Characters *Atlantean Scion, a device in the ''Tomb Raider'' video game series *Scion, avatar of the warrior en ...
of the Royal Court, then transferred to the possession of the Counts of Aveiras and occupied by a convent. The land was later acquired by King
John V John V may refer to: * Patriarch John V of Alexandria or John the Merciful (died by 620), Patriarch of Alexandria from 606 to 616 * John V of Constantinople, Patriarch from 669 to 675 * Pope John V (685–686), Pope from 685 to his death in 686 ...
, who ordered its reconstruction in 1726. It encompassed two parcels, the ''Quinta de Baixo'' and ''Quinta do Meio'', which the monarch purchased from João da Silva Telo, 3rd Count of Aveiros for 200,000 cruzados, in addition to the contiguous farmlands of the Counts of São Lourenço, with the objective of constructing a summer home. Although it is unclear when the first building was completed, by 1754 Queen
Maria Anna of Austria Maria Anna of Austria (Maria Anna Josepha Antonia Regina; 7 September 1683 – 14 August 1754) was Queen of Portugal as the wife of King John V of Portugal. She served as the regent of Portugal from 1742 until 1750 during the illness of her hu ...
had already died in the residence. During the aftermath 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, All Saints' Day, Feast of All Saints, at around 09:40 local time. In ...
, it was determined that there was superficial damage and no fear of collapse, but a number of repairs were completed between 1755 and 1756. Under supervision of the architect João Pedro Ludovice, the ''Casa Real de Campo de Belém'' (Belém Royal Country House) or ''Palácio das Leoneiras'' also received attention. Work included replacing tile and repairs to the greenhouses and stables. Similarly, around 1770, architect Mateus Vicente de Oliveira undertook reconstruction of the total estate. This was the beginning of several small projects within the residence that included the painting of the ''Sala das Bicas'', the replacement of
azulejo (, ; from the Arabic ) is a form of Portuguese and Spanish painted Tin-glazing, tin-glazed ceramic tilework. ''Azulejos'' are found on the interior and exterior of church (building), churches, palaces, ordinary houses, schools, and nowadays, r ...
tiles along the southern veranda (1778), and construction of the birdhouses (1780). Initial construction of the Neoclassical horse training arena, designed by the Italian Giacomo Azzolini, began in 1828. The space is now occupied by the National Coach Museum After 1807, with the departure of the royal family for Brazil, the furniture and artwork were removed from the palace, and the building was abandoned until the end of the
Liberal Wars The Liberal Wars (), also known as the Portuguese Civil War () and the War of the Two Brothers () was a civil war in Portugal that lasted from May 1828 to May 1834, fought between liberal progressive constitutionalists (led by former King P ...
. By 1839, the palace was once again used to hold royal balls, and served as the temporary residence for visiting royal dignitaries. In 1840, during extensive renovations of the Palace of Necessidades, the royal family returned to Belém and resided in the palace during that decade. The Infanta Antónia was born there in 1845. By 1850, renovation of the grand ballroom was complete, permitting Queen Maria II to receive Portuguese society, and in September 1861, the Infanta was married there to Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern. In November 1861, the Infante Augusto died, followed by the Infante João on Christmas. A succession of deaths forced the royal family to abandon the palace, and it once again became a residence for visiting dignitaries. This change in purpose was accompanied by small repairs to the building, as well as the installation of gas lines and new lighting. In 1886, after his marriage to Princess Amélie of Orléans, King Carlos ordered renovations of the palace to prepare it as the royal residence. These were completed under the direction of architect Rafael de Silva Castro; the interior was decorated by Leandro Braga, Columbano and João Vaz. The palace was the birthplace of the Prince Royal Luís Filipe in 1887 and Manuel in 1889. Between 1902 and 1903, remodelling of the interior spaces was undertaken by Rosendo Carvalheira, with the additional construction of a visitors' house on the north walk of the ''Pátio das Damas'' to receive delegations of foreign dignitaries. This addition was inaugurated with the official visit of the King of Spain,
Alfonso XIII Alfonso XIII (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Alfonso León Fernando María Jaime Isidro Pascual Antonio de Borbón y Habsburgo-Lorena''; French language, French: ''Alphonse Léon Ferdinand Marie Jacques Isidore Pascal Antoine de Bourbon''; 17 May ...
, to Portugal at the end of 1903. The following year, the training stables were separated from the palace and destined to shelter the National Coach Museum. By a royal decree published in the ''Diário do Governo'' (4 September), the palace ceased to operate as a royal residence, and passed to the Treasury for the "accommodation of heads of state, princes and foreign missions that come on an official visit to Lisbon, leaving for that purpose by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs".


Republic

Following the
5 October 1910 Revolution 5 October 1910 Revolution () was the overthrow of the centuries-old List of Portuguese monarchs, Portuguese monarchy and its replacement by the First Portuguese Republic. It was the result of a ''coup d'état'' organized by the Portuguese Repub ...
, the ''Secretaria-Geral da Presidência da República'' (''Secretary-General of the Presidency'') moved into the palace on 24 August 1911, as article 45 of the Constitution prohibited the chief of state from occupying a residence on properties held by the state. A loophole in the document allowed the authorization on 28 June 1912 of a government edict to rent an annex alongside the palace for 100,000 réis per month to house the first president, Manuel de Arriaga, who eventually preferred to live in his local residence and work at the palace. This policy of renting the space continued throughout the period of the First Republic. After the assassination of President
Sidónio Pais Sidónio Bernardino Cardoso da Silva Pais (1 May 1872 – 14 December 1918) nicknamed "the President-King" (), was the 4th president of Portugal, serving in 1918. A Portuguese people, Portuguese politician, Officer (armed forces), militar ...
in 1918 at the Rossio railway station, the ex-president's body lay in state in the ''Sala Luís XV'' (''Luís XV Hall'') until his burial. The official residency law for the president of the republic was promulgated on 24 March 1928. It specified that the president and his family would be permitted to reside in one of the national palaces. At the time of the promulgation, General
Óscar Carmona António Óscar de Fragoso Carmona (November 24, 1869April 18, 1951) was the 11th president of Portugal, serving from 1926 until his death in 1951. A Portuguese army officer and politician he previously served as prime minister of Portugal from ...
decided to reside in the Citadel of Cascais, leaving the Palace of Belém for ceremonial affairs, official meetings, receptions and other formal occasions. In anticipation of the projected visit of the King of Spain, the palace underwent several renovations, although the visit did not materialize. In 1936, the main staircase was expanded by António Lino and finished by Cristino da Silva. During the term of General Francisco Craveiro Lopes (1951–1952) the ''Arrábida'' wing was remodelled to serve as the residence of the president of the republic. In 1967, the property was finally classified as an ''IIP - Imóvel de Interesse Público'' (''Property of Public Interest''), by decree 47-508, published in the ''Diário do Governo'' on 24 January 1967. The palace was closed in 1969 to repair damage from the earthquake of that year. After the
Carnation Revolution The Carnation Revolution (), code-named Operation Historic Turn (), also known as the 25 April (), was a military coup by military officers that overthrew the Estado Novo government on 25 April 1974 in Portugal. The coup produced major socia ...
, the palace was made the headquarters of the ''Junta de Salvação Nacional'' (''
National Salvation Junta The National Salvation Junta (, ) was a group of military officers designated to maintain the government of Portugal in April 1974 after the Carnation Revolution had overthrown the '' Estado Novo'' dictatorial regime. This junta assumed power f ...
''). It also experienced the traumas of the new democracy with the counter-revolutionary attempts by António Spínola and
Francisco da Costa Gomes Francisco da Costa Gomes, Order of the Tower and Sword, ComTE Order of Aviz, GOA (; 30 June 1914 – 31 July 2001) was a former Portuguese people, Portuguese military officer and politician who was the 15th President of Portugal from 1974 to 19 ...
. As in previous administrations, Belém Palace underwent new renovations in the ''Arrábida'' wing in order to accommodate the demands of the president and his family. While some presidents resided in Belém, others such as
Mário Soares Mário Alberto Nobre Lopes Soares (; 7 December 1924 – 7 January 2017) was a Portugal, Portuguese politician, who served as prime minister of Portugal from 1976 to 1978 and from 1983 to 1985, and subsequently as the List of Presidents of P ...
,
Jorge Sampaio Jorge Fernando Branco de Sampaio (; 18 September 1939 â€“ 10 September 2021) was a Portuguese lawyer and politician who was the 18th President of Portugal from 1996 to 2006. Sampaio was a member of the Socialist Party, a party which he ...
,
Aníbal Cavaco Silva Aníbal António Cavaco Silva (; born 15 July 1939) is a Portuguese economist and politician who served as the 19th president of Portugal, from 9 March 2006 to 9 March 2016, and as prime minister of Portugal, from 6 November 1985 to 25 October ...
and the current president,
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa Marcelo Nuno Duarte Rebelo de Sousa (; born 12 December 1948) is a Portuguese politician and academic who is the president of Portugal since 2016. He is a member of the Social Democratic Party, though he suspended his party membership for the ...
, used it merely as a workplace, living in their private residences during their terms. Between 1980 and 1985, the main dining hall was used to exhibit gifts received by the chief of state. In 1998, the construction of the ''Centro de Documentação e Informação'' (''Documentation and Information Centre''), was begun by architect João Luís Carrilho da Graça, the winner of a public competition promoted by the Secretary-General of the Presidency. President
Jorge Sampaio Jorge Fernando Branco de Sampaio (; 18 September 1939 â€“ 10 September 2021) was a Portuguese lawyer and politician who was the 18th President of Portugal from 1996 to 2006. Sampaio was a member of the Socialist Party, a party which he ...
commissioned painter Paula Rego for a series of paintings to decorate the walls of the palace chapel in 2002. The painter eventually gave her works entitled "''Ciclo da Vida da Virgem Maria e da Paixão de Jesus Cristo''" (''Cycle of Life of the Virgin Mary and the Passion of Jesus Christ''". The early exhibitions and Presidential initiatives would lead to the inauguration on 5 October 2004 of the Presidential Museum (). Similarly, the ''King D. Luís I Painting Gallery'' was the setting for the 2005 exposition, ''Do Palácio de Belém'', which presented the history of the palace and its architecture, as well as an overview of artistic works that have been displayed there. On 10 March 2006, a Ministry of Culture dispatch reclassified the palace as a
National Monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a sp ...
to include the palace, gardens, Museum of the Presidency and other annexes.


Architecture


Exterior

Belém Palace is a "L" shape building, with the main space located in a rectangular three-volume space in the south façade. This front, which faces the formal gardens, presents a space of five bodies, flanked by wedges surmounted by pinnacles. A combination of
Mannerist Mannerism is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, when the Baroque style largely replaced it ...
and
Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
styles, has a central body with floor level arcades, over a colonnade gallery surmounted by a triangular pediment decorated in stucco. The two outside blocks are farther in front then the main building, forming a terrace delimited by
baluster A baluster () is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its ...
s and accessible by lateral staircases. The top of these lateral walls are topped by twelve panels of monochromatic
azulejo (, ; from the Arabic ) is a form of Portuguese and Spanish painted Tin-glazing, tin-glazed ceramic tilework. ''Azulejos'' are found on the interior and exterior of church (building), churches, palaces, ordinary houses, schools, and nowadays, r ...
tile. On the veranda are 14 azulejo panels representing figures from mythology, with many showing the "
Labours of Hercules The Labours of Hercules or Labours of Heracles (, , ) are a series of tasks carried out by Heracles, the greatest of the Greek heroes, whose name was later romanised as Hercules. They were accomplished in the service of King Eurystheus. The ep ...
", including "''Plutão e Cérbero''" (
Pluto Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of Trans-Neptunian object, bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the Su ...
and
Cerberus In Greek mythology, Cerberus ( or ; ''Kérberos'' ), often referred to as the hound of Hades, is a polycephaly, multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the Greek underworld, underworld to prevent the dead from leaving. He was the offspring o ...
), "''Vénus''" (
Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...
), "''Neptuno''" (
Neptune Neptune is the eighth and farthest known planet from the Sun. It is the List of Solar System objects by size, fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 t ...
), "''Hércules''" (
Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...
), "''Hércules e a égua de Diómedes''" (Hercules and the
Mares of Diomedes The Mares of Diomedes (), also called the Mares of Thrace, were a herd of man-eating horses in Greek mythology. Magnificent, wild, and uncontrollable, they belonged to Diomedes of Thrace (not to be confused with Diomedes, son of Tydeus), kin ...
), "''Figura masculina''" (Masculine figure), "''Figura masculina com arco e flechas''" (Masculine figure with bow and arrow), two panels of "''Figura feminina''" (Female figure), "''Hércules e a ave de Estinfália''" (Hercules and the Stymphalian birds), "''Figura masculina com machado''" (Masculine figure with hoe), "''Hércules e a serpente de Ládon''" (Hercules and the serpent Ladon), "''Hércules e o touro de Creta''" (Hercules and the
Cretan Bull In Greek mythology, the Cretan Bull () was the bull Pasiphaë fell in love with, giving birth to the Minotaur. Mythology Background Minos was king in Minoan civilization, Crete. In order to confirm his right to rule, rather than any of his b ...
), "''Hércules e a Hidra de Lerna''" (Hercules and the
Lernaean Hydra The Lernaean Hydra or Hydra of Lerna (), more often known simply as the Hydra, is a serpentine lake monster in Greek mythology and Roman mythology. Its lair was the lake of Lerna in the Argolid, which was also the site of the myth of the Dan ...
). There are also two rows of tiles with geometric patterns and acanthus leaves. The eastern façade, which fronts the ''Pátio das Damas'' (Lady's Patio), features two levels of windows and portal. The western wing is served from the ''Pátio dos Bichos'' (Animals' Patio), where a gated entrance and ramp provides access to the principal staircase via an elevated space that overlooks the ''Jardim da Cascata'' (Falls Garden). The space was resurfaced and re-paved with stone at the beginning of the 21st century. Immediately in front of the palace, fronting the ''Rua de Belém'', are the formal gardens. Of an 18th-century design, they consist of a terrace enclosed by a balustrade adorned with statues and intersecting pattern of hedges around three circular ponds. In the ''Jardim da Cascata'' (in the northwest corner of the grounds) there are three pavilions (greenhouses) of capstone topped by a decorative railing, with vases and statues. Inserted within a rounded-arch is a waterfall featuring a statue of Hercules. In the central pavilion are six azulejo panels forming a figurative composition, completed in the 19th century. The central composition is in black and white, while the trim is polychromatic: yellow, green and manganese plant ornamentation. These panels include: an "Outdoor Scene", "Two female figures and a male figure in the park, with fruit basket", "Standing female figure gives an apple to a male figure", a "Backgammon game", "Music in the Garden" and "Music in the Garden, with harpsichord and violin".


Interior

The main space is highlighted by a linear sequence of rooms along the south elevation, dominated by the ''Sala das Bicas'' (''Room of the Spouts''), a grand vestibule paved in marble. The ceiling is panelled with an allegorical composition of carved
flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...
and 18th-century polychromatic azulejo
ashlar Ashlar () is a cut and dressed rock (geology), stone, worked using a chisel to achieve a specific form, typically rectangular in shape. The term can also refer to a structure built from such stones. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, a ...
s, completed in the last quarter of that century. In the space one can observe along one wall two round marble fountains with lion heads, which give the space its name. In addition, the space is surrounded by eight jasper busts on plinths, representing Roman emperors. In the ''Sala Dourada'' or ''Salão de Baile'' (''Golden Room'' or ''Ballroom'', respectively) the ceiling is panelled with a central allegory of the Roman Empire, with murals and crown moulding medallions in a neo-Pompeian motif. The ''Sala Luís XV'' (''
Louis Quinze The Louis XV style or ''Louis Quinze'' (, ) is a style of architecture and decorative arts which appeared during the reign of Louis XV. From 1710 until about 1730, a period known as the Régence, it was largely an extension of the Louis XIV styl ...
Room''), also panelled, is highlighted by a series of paintings surmounted by two shields of the Houses of Braganza and
Orléans Orléans (,"Orleans"
(US) and
Neoclassical
retable A retable is a structure or element placed either on or immediately behind and above the altar or communion table of a church. At the minimum, it may be a simple shelf for candles behind an altar, but it can also be a large and elaborate struct ...
in gold-leafed wood, with a painting by André Reinoso representing the "''A Adoração dos Pastores''" (''The Adoration of the Shepherds'').This painting actually substituted a representation of the "''Immaculate Conception''" which was removed. The vaulted ceiling is decorated with a profusion of decorative motifs in a "ferronneire" similar to those found in the ''Sala Dourada''. On the walls are paintings by the artist Paula Rego, representing the "''Ciclo da Vida da Virgem Maria e da Paixão de Jesus Cristo''" (''Circle of Life of the Virgin Mary and the Passion of Christ'').


References

;Notes ;Sources * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


External links


Official website of the Presidency of Portuguese Republic
{{DEFAULTSORT:Belem Palace Official residences in Portugal Royal residences in Portugal Presidential residences Palaces in Lisbon Belém (Lisbon) Baroque palaces in Portugal National monuments in Lisbon District