In this event, we'll take a guided tour of the so-called Palace of the Royal Palace of Bemposta, as well as the Chapel, which is considered a national monument. The most important political events of the time of King João VI took place in this palace, such as the so-called Vila-Francada and the Abrilada, and it was here that King João VI died on 10 March 1826. So there are more than enough reasons to join us for another event not to be missed!

Bemposta Palace:

Designed by João Antunes, the construction of the Paço da Bemposta, destined to be the residence of D. Catarina de Bragança, wife of Charles II of England and daughter of King João IV, dates back to the end of the 17th century.

Deeply affected by the 1755 earthquake, the chapel was almost completely destroyed. Manuel Caetano de Sousa was responsible for its reconstruction. The chapel was built from scratch, but retained its original setting. The main elevation is divided into three articulated bodies, the centre of which is the chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Conception. On the outside, the imposing façade stands out for its crowning platband and balusters, its triangular pediment, decorated on the tympanum, topped by a cross on a plinth, and its central balcony, with a curved balustrade, to which three windows open, the central one topped by a tripartite pediment bearing the royal coat of arms.

Inside, the chapel is organised into a rectangle with rounded angles, the nave, with six side chapels, with the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, due to its depth, constituting an autonomous spatial unit, to which the chancel is juxtaposed. The decorative programme is inspired by the masterpiece of the Joanine Baroque, the Chapel of S. João Baptista, in the Church of S. Roque, but with a certain late Rococo taste that is open to neoclassical manifestations. Also noteworthy are the paintings by Pedro Alexandrino de Carvalho and the canvas on the high altar depicting the patron saint, attributed to the Italian painter José Troni, under which a frieze of portraits of members of the royal family has been placed.

Since the mid-19th century, the palace has been home to the Army School, now the Military Academy, and the chapel has once again been opened for worship. The chapel is classified as a National Monument. The Royal Palace of Bemposta is part of the classification of Campo dos Mártires da Pátria as a Property of Public Interest.

- Guided tour of the Bemposta Palace - Visit to the Chapel of Our Lady of the Conception -