Restaurants, bars and museums in Lisbon · Page 260

Palace of Ajuda

Lisbon · Monuments & Historic Buildings

The Palace of Ajuda, called Palácio Nacional da Ajuda in Portuguese, stands at Largo da Ajuda, 1349-021 Lisboa. It sits at the top of Calçada da Ajuda, the street that links the Ajuda area with Belém. The building is neoclassical and dates from the first half of the 19th century. It became a royal residence when King Luís I came to the throne and kept that role until the Monarchy ended in 1910. Today the palace is a museum whose decorative artworks remain in place, so the interiors are shown in a manner true to their origins. The private apartments are on the ground floor, starting from the Music Room, while the State Rooms occupy the upper floor. The collections cover decorative arts of the 18th and 19th centuries: gold and silver works, textiles, furniture and ceramics, together with paintings, sculptures and photographs. The palace also still hosts the State ceremonies held by the President of the Republic. Alongside it, the separate Royal Treasury Museum (Tesouro Real) safeguards the Portuguese crown jewels and royal valuables. The palace opens from Thursday to Tuesday, 10:00 to 18:00, and closes on Wednesdays, 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 13 June and 25 December. Its own website gives last admission as 17:15, whereas Visit Lisboa lists 17:30. Occasional unscheduled closures may happen because of maintenance, conservation and restoration work, formal events or the allocation of spaces. A visit lasts approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. An online ticket costs €15.00. A 50% discount applies to visitors aged 65 or over, to those from 13 to 24 years old inclusive, and to families made up of one adult and one minor, on presentation of the official document. Entry is free for children up to and including 12 years of age, for unemployed visitors residing in the European Union, and with the Lisboa Card. Residents of Portugal can enter 37 museums, monuments and palaces free of charge 52 days a year with their Citizen Card. Discounts are not cumulative, and groups of more than 20 people must book in advance. Parking is easy nearby, particularly in Largo da Torre, two minutes from the palace. Photography is allowed throughout for personal use, but flash, selfie sticks and tripods are not, video needs prior authorisation, and staff may not be photographed. Smoking and eating are prohibited along the tour circuit. Visit Lisboa shows a Tripadvisor traveller rating of 4.6 from 1480 reviews.

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