Ajuda national palace

A stunning book that does full justice to the beauty, fascinating story and architectural history of this important site The construction of the Royal Palace of Our Lady of Ajuda was commissioned by King Jose I (1714-77) following the destruction of the magnificent Riberia Palace in the earthquake that demolished much of Lisbon in 1755. When fire destroyed the building in 1794, the task of designing a new palace fell to Manuel Caetano de Sousa (1742-1802), who planned it along Baroque architectural lines. It was the official residence of the Portuguese monarchy from the mid-19th century but was closed after the proclamation of the Republic in 1910. It re-opened to the public in 1968 as a museum, housing a spectacular display of decorative arts, silverware and jewellery from the 15th to the 20th centuries.