São Bento Palace, Legislative office building in Estrela district, Lisbon, Portugal
São Bento Palace stands in Lisbon's Estrela district as a neoclassical government building and now houses the Portuguese Parliament. Four stone female figures stand beneath the triangular pediment above the entrance on the main facade.
The origins of the complex trace back to a Benedictine monastery that arose in the late 16th century. After the end of the Liberal Wars in the 1830s, the Portuguese Parliament took over the premises, which have been used for legislative purposes ever since.
The name honors the Benedictine monks who once lived here, while the curved interior staircase now marks the way to the areas where elected representatives work. Visitors notice the combination of monastic room proportions and parliamentary functions that give the building its particular character.
Public guided tours of the building interior take place on the last Saturday of each month and show the historical halls and parliamentary areas. The outdoor gardens open on Sundays for visitors who want to enjoy a quiet walk among the tended beds and pathways.
On the square in front of the building stands a relief by artist Vhils showing faces from the 1974 Carnation Revolution carved into a stone wall. The work was created through a special technique of hollowing and removing the surface, which gives the mural depth and texture.
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