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:The historical centre of Briançon is a strongly fortified town, built by Vauban to defend the region from Austrians in the 17th century. Its streets are very steep and narrow, though picturesque. Briançon lies at the foot of the descent from the Col de Montgenèvre, giving access to Turin, so a great number of other fortifications have been constructed on the surrounding heights, especially towards the east.
The Savoyards made two raids into French territory in 1691 and 1692. As a result, Vauban was dispatched to inspect the frontier defences, which had been ill-equiped to deal with the attack from Savoy. He returned to the area in 1700 to check on the progress that had been made since his first visit. When Vauban visited Briançon, work on the defences had already started under a local engineer, Monsieur d"Angrogne in 1692.