Page 300 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Portugal

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PAÇO DUCAL

! F5 ⌂ Terreiro do Paço, Vila Viçosa § 268 980 659 @ # Jun–Sep: 2–6pm Tue,
10am–1pm, 2pm–6pm Wed–Sun; Oct–May: 2–5pm Tue, 10am –1pm, 2–5pm
Wed–Sun ¢ Public hols, 16 Aug
EXPERIENCE Alentejo Viçosa, begun by Dom Jaime in 1501, became their favoured residence.
The dukes of Bragança owned vast estates, but this lavish palace at Vila
The palace is set in a pretty hill side town, which was named Val Viçosa –
“fertile valley” – after the expulsion of the Moors in 1226. Substantial
houses, built from the local white marble, reflect Vila Vicosa’s prosperous
royal past and the town is full of reminders of the Braganças. Dominating
the west side of the Terreiro do Paço is the long façade of the Paço Ducal,
which stretches for 110 m (360 ft).
The Royal House of Bragança
Afonso, illegitimate son of João I, was created
duke of Bragança in 1442, first of an influential
but bloodstained dynasty. Fernando, the 3rd
duke, was executed in 1483 by his cousin, João 1910
II, who feared his power. Jaime, the unstable
4th duke, locked up his wife in Bragança castle The last monarch,
(p248), then killed her at Vila Viçosa. It was Dom Manuel II, fled into
Jaime who initiated the building of the palace exile after 270 years
at Vila Viçosa, an ambitious work embellished of Bragança rule.
by later dukes to reflect their aspirations and
affluence. The 8th duke was very reluctant to
relinquish a life of music and hunting here
to take up the throne (p45).

Exploring the Palace
When the 8th duke became king in 1640, many
of the furnishings accompanied him to Lisbon,
but the long suite of first-floor rooms is still
splendid, from the Sala da Cabra-Cega, where
royal parties played blind man’s buff, to the
heroic Sala de Hércules. More intimate are the
rooms of King Carlos and his wife, which are
much as the king left them the day before his
assassination in 1908.
Guided tours, which last about an hour, take
in the royal rooms ranged along the first floor
and ground-floor areas such as the kitchen
and the treasury. Entry to the coach
museum, on the north side
of the palace, and armoury
is by separate tickets.
From time to time
areas may be closed
for restoration and
rooms can be shut
off without notice.

Statue of João IV in front
of the Paço Ducal, home
to a historic chapel (inset)
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