Belomonte Palace

Category: Civil Architecture > Manor House / Stately Mansion

District: Porto > Porto > Porto > Centro Histórico

Location

The Belomonte Palacete is located in the heart of Porto's Historic Centre, on a street that shares its name. Its position, within a dense block between Rua de Belomonte and Rua do Comércio do Porto, reflects the historic urban fabric, where buildings of different heights align, creating a traditional city environment.

This privileged location allows observers a perspective of Porto's urban life, marked by the proximity of constructions that compose the rich architectural landscape of the city's old quarter.

A Legacy Through Time

Dating back to the 18th century, the Belomonte Palacete is a remarkable example of Porto's architecture of that era. Born as a noble residence, possibly initiated by Pedro Pacheco Pereira, it became one of the most important meeting points for Porto's high society during the 19th century. This palacete witnessed moments of great social and cultural vibrancy in the city.

Throughout its existence, the building adapted to various functions. Even before becoming the palacete we know today, the site was occupied by the Colégio de São Sebastião and, later, by Banco Aliança. By the end of the 19th century, when it passed into the hands of the Companhia de Ferro Através de África, a significant symbol of the original family (its coat of arms) was replaced by another emblem, a detail that marks the evolution and different phases of its history. More recently, it also hosted a campus of the Escola Superior Artística do Porto.

Baroque Architectural Details

The architecture of the Belomonte Palacete features a striking Baroque style, evident in its main façade. This is characterized by harmonious symmetry, subdivided into five parts by pilasters that lend verticality and rhythm to the ensemble. The two floors are crowned by a distinctive mansard roof, and the ornamentation includes undulating cornices and worked granite, which add a touch of dynamism to the stone.

On the street-facing façade, one can notice the oculus windows and the ground-floor openings with curved frames, replicated on the upper floor with windows topped by undulating shapes. The stone pinnacles rising above the mansard roof reinforce the building's grandeur. Inside, a grand granite staircase with a balustrade reveals the attention to detail, culminating in an elliptical skylight that bathes a space decorated with elaborate stuccoes and coffered wooden ceilings, with paintings that enrich the noble rooms.

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