Most people visiting Lisbon spend some time in Belém, but very few go a little further up to Palácio Nacional da Ajuda.
Its history starts with the devastating 1755 Lisbon earthquake.
King D. José I was so affected by the earthquake that he refused to live under a stone roof again. The royal family moved to Ajuda, where a large wooden palace was built. It became known as the Real Barraca, or Royal Hut.
The Portuguese court lived there for almost four decades, until a fire destroyed the building in 1794.
The palace we see today started taking shape in 1802. The original project was actually much larger than the building that was eventually completed.
But Portuguese history kept getting in the way.
In 1807, the royal family left for Brazil during the French invasions. Construction slowed down, money was limited and the palace was never completed according to the original plans.
It was only when King D. Luís I became king in 1861 that Ajuda became the official royal residence.
Together with Queen Maria Pia of Savoy, he transformed the palace into the home we can largely see today. The rooms were decorated according to the taste and comfort of the second half of the 19th century.
Inside you can visit the royal apartments, the Throne Room and the grand spaces once used for dinners, balls and official ceremonies.
The original decoration has been preserved remarkably well, with furniture, paintings, tapestries, ceramics, jewellery and many objects that belonged to the Portuguese Royal Family.
For me, this is one of the most interesting things about visiting Ajuda. It feels more like entering a royal home than simply walking through another museum.
And compared with many of Lisbon's famous monuments, I usually find it much calmer.
📍 Palácio Nacional da Ajuda
Largo da Ajuda, Lisbon
🕐 Open Thursday to Tuesday, 10:00 to 18:00
Closed on Wednesdays.
🎟️ Regular ticket: €15.
If you are already visiting Belém, I think it is well worth adding Ajuda to your plans.
Have you visited it?
📘 Planning a trip to Lisbon?
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