Guimarães

The Palace of the Dukes of Bragança in Guimarães is one of the most visited palaces by by Portuguese and foreigners.

The Palace of the Dukes of Bragança, in Guimarães was built in the15th century by D. Afonso (illegitimate son of King John I and Inês Pires Esteves), 1st Duke of the House of Braganza and 8th Count of Barcelos, by the time of his second marriage to Lady Constance de Noronha (daughter of D. Afonso, Count of Gijón and Noronha and Lady Isabel, Mistress of Viseu).

In the following centuries it suffered a progressive abandonment and consequent ruin, motivated by political and economic factors, which aggravating during the twentieth century.

Between 1937 and 1959 it underwent a complex reconstruction, carried out by the architect Rogério de Azevedo. At the same time, the current furnishings were allocated, consisting of dated pieces of art, mainly from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Classified as national monument since 1910, even before its reconstruction, the Palace of the Dukes of Bragança is now a depedent office form the Regional Northern Culture Directorate (DRCN) and integrates a museum (on the 1st floor), a wing that is the Republic President official residence (on the 2nd floor) and a large area dedicated to various cultural initiatives (on the ground floor).

http://pduques.culturanorte.pt/pt-PT/Paco_Duques/ContentDetail.aspx