Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa

The Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa is one of the most significant Renaissance palaces on the Iberian Peninsula. Construction began in the 16th century under the orders of D. Jaime I, 4th Duke of Braganza, built upon the foundations of a medieval castle. The building we see today is the result of successive construction campaigns spanning nearly a hundred years.

For two centuries, this was the preferred residence of the Dukes of Braganza — one of the most powerful noble families in Europe. Here grew up D. João, the 8th Duke, who in 1640 led the Restoration of Independence and became King João IV of Portugal. From that moment, Vila Viçosa ceased to be the ducal capital and the palace became a summer residence for the royal family.

Portugal's last king, D. Manuel II, departed from this very palace to Lisbon in October 1910, hours before the Republic was proclaimed. He never returned. Today the building houses a museum with one of the country's most extraordinary collections of royal art and furniture, including the bedroom where D. Carlos slept the night before his assassination in 1908.