April 19, 2019:
Today we’re going to visit the Ducal Palace in Vila Viçosa in the morning and then drive over the Estremoz, to check-in-to and visit the Pousada da Rainha Santa Isabel.
Paço Ducal de Vila Viçosa (Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa):
The Ducal Palace was erected in 1501 by the fourth Duke of Bragança, D. Jaime (James) – With an imposing 110 meters of facade, in the interior you can visit several rooms.
Paço Ducal de Vila Viçosa (Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa) – Wikimedia – Alvesgaspar
You can optionally take separate tours of several included museums at the Ducal Palace, such as the Armory, the Armory, the Treasury, the Chinese Porcelain Collection and the Carriages Museum.
- the Armory, exhibits the extensive collections of arms of the Bragança Dynasty;
- the Treasury, has a vast spoil in which the highlights go to invaluable jewelry pieces and magnificent paintings and tapestries, gold embroidery and ceramics pieces;
- the Chinese Porcelain Collection exhibits blue and white porcelain from China which is the biggest Chinese porcelain private collection in the Iberian Peninsula;
- the Carriages Museum displays coaches and carriages which belonged to the royal family, including gala vehicles from the 19th and 20th centuries.
The Ducal Palace/Museums Open Hours:
- October to May: Tuesday, 2 pm – 5 pm (last entry 4 pm); Closed Monday; Wednesday – Sunday, 10 am – 1 pm (last entry 12 pm); 2 pm – 5 pm (last entry 4 pm);
- June to September: Tuesday, 2 pm – 6 pm (last entry 5 pm); Closed Monday; Wednesday – Sunday, 10 am – 1 pm (last entry 12 pm); 2 pm – 6 pm (last entry 5 pm)
Prices – all visits are with an hourly Portuguese guided tour – English guided tours of the Palace are offered at 11 am on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, but only if there are enough English visitors (a minimum of 5): Ducal Palace – €7 (approx. 1 hour); Armory – €3 (approx. 1 hour); Treasury – €2.50 (approx. 30 mins); Chinese Porcelain Collection – €2.60 (approx. 30 mins); Carriages Museum – €3 (approx. 30 mins). We opted for only the Ducal Palace tour.
Sign – Cost and Hours – Ducal Palace (and Castle) of Vila Viçosa
History of the Ducal Palace
With the rise of the House of Bragança to the throne of Portugal in 1640, the Ducal Palace at Vila Viçosa moved from being the permanent residence of the first family of the national nobility to one of the royal residences scattered throughout the kingdom.
Royal Residences in Portugal:
– Belém Palace
– Bemposta Palace
– Buçaco Palace
– Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa
– Necessidades Palace
– Palace of Ajuda
– Palace of Mafra
– Palace of Queluz
– Pena Palace
– Ramalhão Palace
– Ribeira Palace
– Royal Palace of Évora
– Sintra National Palace
The Ducal Palace will once again live golden moments in the 18th Century when the double marriages occur of the daughter and son of Portuguese King D. João V and Queen D. Maria I with the daughter and son of the Spanish sovereigns their contemporaries, episodes known as the exchange of princesses.
In those moments new works campaigns endowed the Palace of visible improvements in the Noble Floor, Kitchen and the Chapel.
In the 19th Century the sporadic visits of the Royal Family became frequent, and the Palace was arranged successively in the reigns of King D. Luis and King D. Carlos to comfortably receive the family and large entourage during their annual Portuguese venatory tours.
The Palace was the birthplace of D. Catherine of Bragança (who later became the Queen of England) in 1638, and King D. Carlos I spent his last night here before his assassination in Lisbon in 1908.
Inside there are a rich mixture of English, Flemish and French tapestries, Chinese porcelain, Brazilian ebony furniture, and massive kitchens with 2,000 kg of gleaming copper, with some pots and pans large enough to bathe in, and spits large enough for several oxen (one of the largest collections in Iberia).
The palace’s best furniture went to Lisbon after Duke Dom João II ascended the throne as King Dom João IV, and some went on to Brazil after the royal family fled there in 1807, but there are still some stunning pieces on display, such as a huge 16th-century Persian rug in the Room of the Dukes – Lots of royal portraits put into context the interesting background of the royal family.
The private apartments hold a ghostly fascination – toiletries, knick-knacks and clothes of Dom Carlos and his wife Marie-Amélia are laid out as if the royal couple were about to return (Dom Carlos left one morning in 1908 and was assassinated in Lisbon that afternoon).
There is also an armory filled with weapons and suits of armor, and a Carriages Museum occupying the Royal Stables – The entrance to a royal hunting ground is through an eye-catching “Gate of Knots” with great ropes and knots carved into stone.
With the implantation of the Republic in 1910, the Ducal Palace closed the doors, and was reopened in the 1940s, after the creation of the Casa de Bragança Foundation in 1933, by the testament of September 20, 1915 of King D. Manuel II in his will (he died on July 2, 1932).
Portrait of King D. Manuel II, by Henrique Medina
Visiting the Ducal Palace:
The Noble Floor has many interesting rooms and spaces. Here are some highlights (photography is not allowed inside the Palace, so the images below are from the Internet – with photo attribution):
Main Staircase:
Access to the residence is made across a vestibule to the main marble staircase with marble walls, as well as a painted mural fresco representing the Tomada de Azamor (Taking of Azamor) in northern Africa in 1513 by Portuguese troops, commanded by Jaime (James), Duke of Bragança.
The Grand Staircase – Photo: londontraveller.org
The rooms in the Palace extend along the horizontal plane, with a single corridor linking the spaces, including the…
Tapestry Room (Sala das Tapeçarias):
The Tapestry Room Is built of sillar (type of volcanic rock) covered in 17th-century polychromtic blue-and-white azulejo tile, with a white marble fireplace, tile floor, and vaulted ceiling with phytomorphic painting.
Tapestry Room – Photo: i.pinimg.com
Several of the main rooms include spaces with painted fresco ceilings, and 17th-century blue-and-white/yellow azulejo tile, such as the…
Room of David and Goliath:
This room, also called the Sala do Gigante (Hall of the Giant), with a 16th-century fresco depicting the biblical episode between David and Goliath, which is framed by the arms of the Dukes of Bragança.
Room of David and Goliath – Photos: www.360cities.net
Hall of Medusa (Sala de Medusa):
This hall has a painted fresco representing the battle between Medusa and Perseus.
Sala de Medusa – Photo: geschichte-der-fliese.de
Ceiling – Sala de Medusa – Photo: www.360cities.net
Room of D. Duarte (Sala de D. Duarte):
This room has a painted ceiling, with anthropomorphic elements and a tiled floor.
D. Duarte Room – Photo: www.360cities.net
Room of the Dukes (Sala dos Duques):
Also called the Room of Germans (Sala dos Tudescos), this room is a noble salon and the largest room in the building, decorated in the ceiling with the frames of 18 Dukes of Bragança.
Room of the Dukes – Photo: Pinterest
This project was ordered by King Dom João V (1689-1750) in 1725, to the court painter Domenico Duprà (1689-1770) who took 4 years to accomplish the task, most probably with the help of the second court painter Pierre-Antoine Quillard (1701-33).
Dukes of Bragança – Ceiling of the Room of the Dukes – Photo: www.360cities.net
This impressive ceiling, containing 18 portraits, depicts the genealogy of the Dukes of Bragança.
Room of Virtues (Sala das Virtues):
This room has an artistic ceiling comprising framed paintings showing the Seven Theological Virtues, among them: Fé (Faith), Esperança (Hope), Caridade (Charity), Prudência (Prudence), Justiça (Justice), Forteleza (Strength), Temperança (Temperance) and Sapiência (Wisdom).
The painter or the commissioner added Ciência (Science) as an “Eight” Theological Virtue.
Room of Virtues Ceiling – Photo: www.360cities.net
Room of Virtues – Photo: www.360cities.net
Room of Hercules (Sala de Hércules):
This room is named after the Roman hero and god, Hercules.
Room of Hercules – Photo: www.360cities.net
Room of Hercules Ceiling – Photo: www.360cities.net
Room of King D. Carlos I (Sala de D. Carlos):
This is where the King D. Carlos I spent his last night before being assassinated (with the crown prince D. Luís Filipe) on February 1, 1908.
Room of King D. Carlos I – Photo: www.360cities.net
Room of Queen D. Amelia (Sala de D. Amélie):
This is the room of King D. Carlos I’s wife, Queen D. Amelia.
Room of Queen D. Amelia – Photo: www.360cities.net
Dining Room (Sala de Jantar):
This room has a similarly paneled ceiling with medallions, decorated in classical and mythological motifs.
The rooms five doorways give access to the Garden of the Ladies (Jardim das Damas).
Dining Room – Photo: www.360cities.net
Kitchen (Cozinha):
Near the kitchen are ovens, wine cellars and storage spaces.
Kitchen – Photo: www.rachiepie.com
Chapel of the Ducal Palace:
The chapel, referred to as the Hall of the Vestments/Organ (Sala dos Paramento/Órgãos) is covered in a vaulted ceiling with comparably painted roof frames.
Chapel of the Ducal Palace – Photo: fcbraganca.pt
Behind the Ducal Palace is the…
Garden of the Ladies (Jardim das Damas):
Garden of the Ladies (Jardim das Damas)
With the car all packed up, we now headed for the upper town of Estremoz. This time we entered by car at two gates (the outer town gate and the inner castle gate)…
We first entered through the outer town gate, the…
Gate of Évora (Porta de Évora):
Entering the upper town by car through the Gate of Évora
Then we drove through very narrow streets to reach the…
Narrow streets in upper town
Gate or Arch of Santarém (Porta o Arco de Santarém):
Gate or Arch of Santarém (Porta o Arco de Santarém)
Driving through this gate, we reached our destination (with free parking), Largo Dom Dinis, and the…
Largo Dom Dinis
Pousada da Rainha Santa Isabel:
Pousada da Rainha Santa Isabel
We checked in our bags and toured the Pousada. We were struck by the luxuriousness of the place.
Reception area
Sitting area
Lounge
Patio/courtyard
Dining Room
Old Jail Restaurante
Swimming pool – Photo: pousadasofportugal.com
Access to rooms
Sample rooms – Photos: Booking.com
History of the Old Medieval Royal Palace
The building of the medieval walls of Estremoz continued with the reign of D. Denis (1279-1325), the monarch who had erected the old Medieval Royal Palace, next to the Castle Keep – It was in this Old Palace that the Queen St. Elizabeth passed away (July 4, 1336).
This old Medieval Royal Palace is currently occupied by the Hotel of Queen Saint Elizabeth (Pousada da Rainha Santa Isabel) or Hotel Castle of Estremoz (Pousada Castelo de Estremoz), which was adapted to an armory warehouse in the reign of King João V (1707-1750) in 1736, and Carlos Andreis was responsible for the technical assistance of the works.
Hotel of Queen Saint Elizabeth (Pousada da Rainha Santa Isabel) – Photo: pousadasofportugal.com
On August 17, 1898, a violent explosion in one of the powder rooms, and subsequent fire, caused severe damage to the Medieval Castle and the Old Medieval Royal Palace, sparing the Tower of the Three Crowns/Castle Keep.
The Old Medieval Royal Palace was restored after the ammunition blast and fire, and was converted into the current Pousada in 1970 – The interior of this Pousada is like a museum, and is freely open to visitors to view.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the whole of the castle, the walls of the village, the so-called Torre das Couraças and the Chapel of the Queen Saint Elizabeth, was classified as a National Monument by Decree published on June 23, 1910.
Next we explored the…
Castle Keep (Torre de Menagem) or Tower of Three Crowns (Torre das Três Coroas):
Castle Keep (Torre de Menagem) or Tower of Three Crowns (Torre das Três Coroas)
On the terrace on top of the Tower are the so-called Three Crowns, representing, according to some authors, the three reigns of Portuguese kings in which the works of its implantation took place (Portuguese Kings Sancho II, Afonso III and Denis I).
Three Crowns on the terrace on top of the Tower
At about 27 meters high, it has a quadrangular plant and is crowned with merlons in pyramidal form.
Merlons at the top of the Tower
In the main south façade of the tower are the coat-of-arms of D. Afonso III (1245-1279) represented with two angels protecting them.
Coat-of-arms of D. Afonso III with two angels protecting them – Photo: PortugalTravel.org
Detail – Coat-of-arms of D. Afonso III – Photo: palomatorrijos.blogspot.com
The origins of the castle are not fully defined in time, but during the Muslim occupation they fortified the hill where it is located.
During the reign of D. Sancho II (1223-1248), the reconstruction work of the castle began – With the reign of D. Afonso III (1248-1279), a foral was granted to the village in 1258, and the reconstruction and reinforcement of the defenses was maintained, as well as the construction of the village wall – The Tower of Menagem a consequence of this fact was erected in 1260.
Typical of the Portuguese military architecture of the late 13th and early 14th centuries, it is what remains of the primitive alcáçova (fortress), together with the thirteenth-century building of the old Medieval City Hall (Paços do Concelho).
Medieval City Hall (Paços do Concelho)
On the second floor of this Castle Keep (Torre de Menagem) or Tower of Three Crowns (Torre das Três Coroas) there is a beautiful octagonal room (King’s Room or Sala Dos Reis) with columns of animalistic and anthropomorphic capitals.
Sign for the Tower, King’s Room and Indoor Games Room
Steps leading to the Tower
The King’s Room (Sala Dos Reis)
Indoor game room (Sala Dom Afonso IV)
Views from halfway up the Tower
Windows on the way up the Tower
Climbing up the Tower
Views on top of the Tower
We spent most of the afternoon relaxing in the Pousada, and walked a few yards towards the Gate or Arch of Santarém to have a few drinks at Adega 14.
Adega 14 Bar/Restaurante just inside the Gate or Arch of Santarém
Upper town Estremoz at night – Photo: JM Vacations