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Episcopal Palace of Portalegre

Category: Religious Architecture > Palace

District: Portalegre > Portalegre > Portalegre > Sé e São Lourenço

Location

The Episcopal Palace of Portalegre is integrated into the heart of the city's historic center, within the civil parishes of Sé and São Lourenço. It is located opposite Largo do Paço, establishing a direct and visual proximity to Portalegre Cathedral, to which it adjoins on the right side of its chancel. Its central position allows visitors to enjoy the surrounding urban atmosphere, while the landscaped area at its rear offers a contrasting tranquility. This area of the city is also covered by the Serra de São Mamede Natural Park, giving it a peculiar natural setting.

A Building with History

This remarkable building, currently an ecclesiastical residence, began to be erected at the end of the 16th century, shortly after the creation of the Diocese of Portalegre. Its initial construction is attributed to the initiative of D. Frei Amador Arrais, one of the first bishops of the diocese, who shaped the primitive structure of this palace. Later, in the mid-18th century, the Episcopal Palace underwent significant expansion and remodeling, under the guidance of D. João de Azevedo, the fifteenth prelate of Portalegre. This intervention endowed the building with many of the features that characterize it today.

Architectural Features

The Episcopal Palace of Portalegre exhibits an irregular rectangular plan, with its façades developing across three distinct floors. One of the striking architectural elements is the so-called "Arch of the Bishop", integrated into the Crato Gates. The main façade is rhythmic with a series of rectilinear sill windows, those on the upper floor adorned with rich mass decoration, topped by a backrest, cornice, and finial, and with padded panels featuring vegetal motifs. The main portal, in 18th-century style, features a flattened arch flanked by pilasters supporting a cut-out pediment. On this pediment, the coat of arms of Bishop D. Frei João de Azevedo, responsible for the 18th-century works, stands out, accompanied by a Latin inscription evoking that same period of expansion. Inside, the building established direct communication with the chancel tribune of the See Cathedral.

The Designed Garden

At the rear of the Episcopal Palace, there is a landscaped area that complements the grandeur of the construction. This garden, offering a green and tranquil retreat, was the subject of a landscape architecture project designed in 1965. The authorship of this landscape design belonged to the renowned architect Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles, who contributed to enhancing the palace's surrounding environment. The presence of this garden underscores the residential and contemplative character that the palace assumes within the urban complex of Portalegre, allowing a glimpse into its more secluded and natural area.

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

Coordinates DD: 39.291518906545484, -7.433740388967951
Coordinates DMS: 39°17'29.5"N 07°26'1.5"W

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