Belém Palace, Presidential palace in Belém, Lisbon, Portugal
Belém Palace, officially the National Palace of Belém, is a pink stucco complex with white stone trim on Praça Afonso de Albuquerque, facing the Tagus. Its central block rises three levels under a red tiled hipped roof, with round white-framed medallions and statues between sections. Lower wings and a pink wall with iron railings and a central arched fountain extend along the street.
D. Manuel of Portugal, son of the 1st Count of Vimioso, built the palace in 1559 as the Quinta de Belém. King John V bought it from the Count of Aveiras and had it rebuilt in 1726. After the 1910 revolution it became the residence of the Portuguese president.
The west wing houses a museum where visitors see photographs and objects from the lives of Portuguese heads of state since the republic began in 1910. Foreign government gifts and personal items from former officeholders are also on display.
The palace opens on Saturdays for guided tours, while the museum is accessible Tuesday through Saturday. The gardens can be visited when the site is open.
The main entrance hall takes its name Sala das Bicas from the decorative marble work on walls and floors. The patterns were created by Italian craftsmen in the 18th century.
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