Belém Palace, Lisbon, Portugal - SpottingHistory.com

Situated high up in gardens on a gently sloped hill, the Belem Palace is the official residence of Portugal's president since 1910. It was built in 1559 and altered in the 18th century by King João V.

In 1755 King Jose I was inside the palace where the Great Earthquake was felt only to a slight extent, and just like most buildings in this area, it wasn't severely damaged. It still retains its richly furnished halls, carvings, tiles, and numerous works of art that may be visited on Saturdays only.

The Presidency Museum is part of the palace and can be visited every day except Mondays. tells the story of the Portuguese Republic and its Presidents, with a permanent collection explaining the history of the nationals symbols (flag and anthem) and the role of the presidents through photographs. In one gallery are portraits of every Portuguese president and in another are the gifts each received from world leaders and other prominent figures.

In front of the palace is a square with well-tended gardens and a statue of Afonso de Albuquerque, the Viceroy of India, standing atop a 20m-high Neo-Manueline pedestal in the center.

References:

Go Lisbon

User Reviews

Majharul Alom Chowdhury (12 months ago)
Nice place

Yonathan Stein (12 months ago)
Looks nice from outside but I couldn't go inside since its open only Saturday. Tram 15E to get there from city center.

Vasily Tregubov (13 months ago)
Very nice and old

Igor Ostaptchenko (2 years ago)
The gates and guards are splendid! Haven't been inside so beware trusting this review.

Jenny Jagers (2 years ago)
You cannot visit the palace as a walk up tourist. This was not well described and no reviews in the top 20 list I saw so I’m leaving a review to ensure it’s made clear. You can however visit the museum. It’s small say other reviews so we did not go. A lot of info especially about cost is not clearly stated in Lisbon, but most entrances are €7 or higher.

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