When the old royal residence in what is now Praça do Comércio on Lisbon's waterfront was destroyed by an earthquake in 1755, the Portuguese king decided that it was safer to live on a hill. The chosen location was Ajuda which had been less affected by the disaster. The palace's rebuilding was an expensive series of experiments. The 1755 quake destroyed most of Lisbon, including the royal palace. So although the royal family survived, King José I decided that the new palace should be built on a hill in the Ajuda district of Lisbon.
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Main entrance of Ajuda Palace
Visitors can visit this Palácio Nacional da Ajuda, the second home of the Portuguese royal family. It was built as the Paço de Madeira/wood. But in 1794 a fire destroyed this second palace and the vast majority of its treasures. Whereas the original stone material of the palace was deadly in an earthquake, the wood of the new palace made it susceptible to fire. Construction of a stone palace began in 1796.
When Napoleon’s army invaded Portugal in 1807, the royal family fled to Brazil, reigning from that Portuguese colony for some years. They left Palácio Nacional da Ajuda to the best artists and sculptors then, to work on it in their absence. But when the royals returned to Lisbon in 1821, the work was incomplete and many preferred that the country become a republic.
Thus the royal palace was no longer royal, and the neo-classical building was turned into a museum; it also occasionally hosted official ceremonies, but generally open to the public. It has quite a sumptuous interior, with elaborate décor in several magnificent rooms. The highlights are the a] Audience Room; b] Throne Room with its ceiling painted in 1825 representing a heavenly temple; c] Banquet Room for official dinners; and d] King João IV Room covered with 1823 paintings, including a ceiling. The rooms include a great collection of clocks and an intact dinner service.
Amidst political turmoil in 1833, building stopped! It was only in 1861 that construction works began again, vigorously. The interior was renovated as the royal home in 1862, the year Portuguese King Luís I married Princess Maria Pia of Savoy. Soon the palace was where the royals lived AND it was also where diplomatic banquets were held.
Visitors see a music room, stunning dining room, office, games room and an indoor garden room which once housed exotic birds and plants. Maria Pia was a very gifted artist and her works are displayed at the Palace. But at King Luís I’s death in 1889 the royal family became divided. The continuing building of the palace was no longer a priority. With the overthrow of the Portuguese monarchy and the declaration of the Portuguese Republic in 1910, the palace was shut down and for decades was closed to the public.
In 1996 some of the rooms were restored to their original glory: fine chandeliers, painted ceilings, carved furniture, historic portraits, ornate doors, priceless sculptures and luxurious tapestries.
Today’s Palace is only a third of the size of the original plans; the entrance used today was actually designed as a side entrance. The intended main entrance was supposed to face the river so that passengers arriving to Lisbon by ship would see an enormous palace with a grand entrance atop of Ajuda hill. Such a project would have completely changed Lisbon’s cityscape. It was meant to be one of the largest palaces in Europe, with gardens cascading down to the river.
The Music Room is on the ground floor, the private flats on the second while State Rooms occupy the upper floor. There are 1000+ treasures, spread over 11 small sections, on 3 levels. The highlights are the world's second biggest gold nugget, a magnificent dinner set by famed silversmith François-Thomas Germain, a 1790s diamond-covered badge, and golden roses from Pope Gregory XVI (1842). As a museum, it gathers important collections of C18th-19th decorative arts: gold-silver works, textiles, furniture, ceramics, paintings, sculptures and photographs.
Important State ceremonies held by the Republic’s President still occur. There are two museums, 1]Royal Treasure and 2] the Palace itself. Both have unique pieces of Portuguese history, great paintings, furniture, tapestries, jewellery, porcelains. There is information around the palace, telling the Portuguese royal family’s history. The old ruined western wing was completed in 2021 in modern style to house the Royal Treasure Museum. After €31 mill, it opened to the public June 2022, displaying precious crown jewels.
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When Napoleon’s army invaded Portugal in 1807, the royal family fled to Brazil, reigning from that Portuguese colony for some years. They left Palácio Nacional da Ajuda to the best artists and sculptors then, to work on it in their absence. But when the royals returned to Lisbon in 1821, the work was incomplete and many preferred that the country become a republic.
Thus the royal palace was no longer royal, and the neo-classical building was turned into a museum; it also occasionally hosted official ceremonies, but generally open to the public. It has quite a sumptuous interior, with elaborate décor in several magnificent rooms. The highlights are the a] Audience Room; b] Throne Room with its ceiling painted in 1825 representing a heavenly temple; c] Banquet Room for official dinners; and d] King João IV Room covered with 1823 paintings, including a ceiling. The rooms include a great collection of clocks and an intact dinner service.
Amidst political turmoil in 1833, building stopped! It was only in 1861 that construction works began again, vigorously. The interior was renovated as the royal home in 1862, the year Portuguese King Luís I married Princess Maria Pia of Savoy. Soon the palace was where the royals lived AND it was also where diplomatic banquets were held.
Visitors see a music room, stunning dining room, office, games room and an indoor garden room which once housed exotic birds and plants. Maria Pia was a very gifted artist and her works are displayed at the Palace. But at King Luís I’s death in 1889 the royal family became divided. The continuing building of the palace was no longer a priority. With the overthrow of the Portuguese monarchy and the declaration of the Portuguese Republic in 1910, the palace was shut down and for decades was closed to the public.
In 1996 some of the rooms were restored to their original glory: fine chandeliers, painted ceilings, carved furniture, historic portraits, ornate doors, priceless sculptures and luxurious tapestries.
Today’s Palace is only a third of the size of the original plans; the entrance used today was actually designed as a side entrance. The intended main entrance was supposed to face the river so that passengers arriving to Lisbon by ship would see an enormous palace with a grand entrance atop of Ajuda hill. Such a project would have completely changed Lisbon’s cityscape. It was meant to be one of the largest palaces in Europe, with gardens cascading down to the river.
The Music Room is on the ground floor, the private flats on the second while State Rooms occupy the upper floor. There are 1000+ treasures, spread over 11 small sections, on 3 levels. The highlights are the world's second biggest gold nugget, a magnificent dinner set by famed silversmith François-Thomas Germain, a 1790s diamond-covered badge, and golden roses from Pope Gregory XVI (1842). As a museum, it gathers important collections of C18th-19th decorative arts: gold-silver works, textiles, furniture, ceramics, paintings, sculptures and photographs.
Important State ceremonies held by the Republic’s President still occur. There are two museums, 1]Royal Treasure and 2] the Palace itself. Both have unique pieces of Portuguese history, great paintings, furniture, tapestries, jewellery, porcelains. There is information around the palace, telling the Portuguese royal family’s history. The old ruined western wing was completed in 2021 in modern style to house the Royal Treasure Museum. After €31 mill, it opened to the public June 2022, displaying precious crown jewels.
Audience Hall
Banquet Room
Throne Room
Ajuda Botanical Garden, designed by an Italian botanist, was laid out in 1768. It was Portugal’s first botanical garden, and while it has since lost many of its 5000 species of plants in the 1808 French invasion, the 1993 restoration recreated the original garden. It’s a shame that this fine building and art collection still need more Government investment.
Today the garden is a wonderful place to relax after exiting the Palace. From all levels there’s a view of the river and 25 de Abril Bridge, including ancient shady trees and roaming peacocks. Some of the trees surround a beautiful C18th fountain adorned with mythological figures, serpents and seahorses. Visit the garden independently from the palace.
Today the garden is a wonderful place to relax after exiting the Palace. From all levels there’s a view of the river and 25 de Abril Bridge, including ancient shady trees and roaming peacocks. Some of the trees surround a beautiful C18th fountain adorned with mythological figures, serpents and seahorses. Visit the garden independently from the palace.
Botanical Gardens
Read the very attractive blog: A Portuguese Affair.