Paço dos Henriques or Horto do Paço das Alcáçovas or Paço Real da Vila, Garden and Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Conceição.

Category: Civil Architecture > Palace

District: Évora > Viana do Alentejo > Alcáçovas > Horto do Paço

Location

- Vila de Alcáçovas, municipality of Viana do Alentejo, Alentejo, Portugal

- Located next to Praça da República, in the center of the village

Historical Significance

- Built in the late 13th century by order of King D. Dinis

- Site of the signing of the Treaty of Alcáçovas in 1479, which ended the War of the Castilian Succession

- Classified as a Property of Public Interest in 1993

Architecture

- Architectural styles: Gothic, Regional Manueline, Renaissance, and Mudéjar influences

Notable Elements

Embedded decorations on the facades

Paço Complex

- Jardim das Conchinhas (Horto do Paço): Garden area with oratory, well, noria, tank, aqueduct, fountain and conversation windows. Flooring in the Granada style and decoration in embedded decorations.

- Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Conceição: Originally dedicated to São Jerónimo, altered in 1680

Restoration and Redevelopment

- Restoration works completed in 2016

Currently functions as a cultural and tourist space

, Tomás Ribas Auditorium

, Tourist office

, Exhibition halls (permanent and temporary)

, Permanent exhibition on the art of making cowbells, classified by UNESCO

Attractions and Activities

- Guided tours of the Paço and the garden

- Temporary and permanent exhibitions

- Cultural and tourist events

- Participation in sustainable tourism and heritage preservation programs

Notable Events

- Ceremonies of historical royal weddings

- Important meeting and diplomatic negotiation point throughout the centuries

Access and Infrastructure

- Easily accessible from the center of the village

- Modern infrastructure to accommodate visitors and cultural events

Sources: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paço_dos_Henriques

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt