Viscount of Santo Ambrósio Palace

Category: Civil Architecture > Manor House / Stately Mansion

District: Lisboa > Lisboa > Lisboa > Amoreiras

Location

Located in Lisbon, in the Amoreiras area, the Palacete do Visconde de Santo Ambrósio is situated in the heart of a consolidated urban area. This building stands out for its corner location, between Rua D. Dinis and Rua do Sol ao Rato, in a setting that preserves the charm of an older Lisbon. Its striking presence, isolated by a walled and grated courtyard, gives it a particular visibility in the municipality's urban landscape.

A Nineteenth-Century Palacete

This palacete dates back to the 19th century, presenting itself as a remarkable example of residential architecture of the era. Built to be the residence of a prominent figure, the building reflects the taste and lifestyle of the Lisbon elite. Its construction was conceived as a single-family residence, a palacete distinguished by its grandeur and artistic details.

The Viscount's Legacy

The palacete's name is intrinsically linked to the figure of the Viscount of Santo Ambrósio, Francisco António de Oliveira Namorado. Personal physician to King D. Luís I and an active figure in politics as a member of the Regenerator party, the Viscount received his noble title in 1884, a distinction directly related to his residence at this location, then known as Rua de Santo Ambrósio, today Rua D. Dinis. This historical link gives the building symbolic value, as a testament to a relevant period in Portuguese history and the life of a personality who served the Crown.

Its Peculiar Architecture

The Palacete do Visconde de Santo Ambrósio distinguishes itself by its unusually pentagonal plan, a feature that makes it unique in Lisbon's architectural landscape. Its main façade, the shortest side of the pentagon, opens onto an entrance courtyard delimited by an ornate wall with metal railings. The building has two floors, marked by a stone frieze that separates them. Its walls, in light tones, are adorned with quoins and a stone plinth, complemented by windows with simple frames. On the ground floor, a gallery with lowered arches, supported by pilasters, gives way, on the upper floor, to a continuous balcony with an elegant cast-iron railing. At the top, a cornice and a balustraded parapet, decorated with urns, complete the ensemble, giving the palacete a classic and sober aesthetic.

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