Barahona Palace

Category: Civil Architecture > Palace

District: Évora > Évora > Évora > São Mamede, Sé, São Pedro e Santo Antão

Location

Barahona Palace is located in Évora, nestled in the heart of its historic center, an area classified as a World Heritage site. Its position is unique, rising over part of the city's ancient wall, specifically over the Prince's bastion, which gives it an imposing appearance to those approaching. The main facade of the palace faces the bustling Rua da República and the old Porta de São Braz, situated opposite the Public Garden. One of its flanks overlooks a public road near the local market, while the remaining faces merge with the ancient wall itself, offering a striking perspective of its integration into the urban landscape.

19th-Century Architecture

This palace, built in the 1860s, stands out in Évora's 19th-century architectural landscape. Its construction represented an exception in the city, where it was more common to adapt pre-existing structures than to build from scratch. Designed by the Lisbon-born architect Giuseppe Cinatti, the building features a revivalist style, combining classical sobriety with historical ornamental elements. Its facades highlight the marble stonework and regular fenestration, where elaborate moldings and the suggestion of double archivolts evoke medieval and Manueline architecture, giving it a symmetrical and harmonious aesthetic.

A Historical Legacy

Barahona Palace, initially known as Palacete José Maria Ramalho, was commissioned by this prominent owner and later associated with the name of Francisco Eduardo de Barahona Fragoso. Its interiors, although access is restricted due to the building's current use, are profusely decorated with stuccoes and paintings in the 19th-century style. Many of these decorations were supervised by Francisco Barahona himself, with iconographic elements that refer to his experiences, whether in his professional activity, his connection to the land, or his collecting and patronage spirit for arts and letters. As a testament to its social relevance, the palace hosted the Portuguese royal family, including D. Luís and D. Carlos, during their visits to Évora, and was once the venue for public exhibitions of its owners' notable art collection, later donated to the Public Library of Évora.

Unique Details and Gardens

Despite the limited access to the interior, the exteriors of Barahona Palace and its gardens offer details worth observing. The palace is enriched by three distinct garden spaces. In one of them, near the main entrance, one can admire a small circular lake with a large marble gargoyle, originating from the old Convent of Santa Maria do Espinheiro. In another garden, integrated into the eastern facade, a Rococo portal, also rescued from the same convent, was re-used, demonstrating the valorization of historical heritage through its reinterpretation. These details, along with the way the palace integrates and stands out within Évora's intramural urban fabric, tell the story of a building of exceptional artistic and patrimonial value.

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