It is located on Rua Conde Dom Henrique, city and municipality of Guimarães, district of Braga, northwest of Portugal
The Paço dos Duques de Bragança was a former stately residence of the first Dukes of Bragança, located in the historic center of Guimarães (Oliveira do Castelo).
The Palace of the Dukes was built by the eighth Count of Barcelos (and, later, the first Duke of Bragança), D. Afonso, illegitimate son of King D. João I and D. Inês Pires Esteves, and its construction took place between 1420 and 1433.
In 1401 D. Afonso married D. Beatriz, daughter of the Constable D. Nuno Álvares Pereira, from which date he began to bear the title of eighth Count of Barcelos.
The construction of the Palace began around 1420, during the second marriage of D. Afonso with D. Constança de Noronha, daughter of the Count of Gijón.
D. Afonso traveled across Europe on diplomatic commitments and on personal initiative, where he visited England, Scotland, Spain, France and Italy, having also participated in military campaigns in Ceuta.
In the year 1442, his brother D. Pedro, then Regent, granted him the title of Duke of Bragança, thus giving rise to one of the richest and most powerful manor houses in the Iberian Peninsula: “the House of Bragança”.
After the death of D. Afonso (1461), the widowed duchess continued to reside in the Palace until she died in 1480, and tradition says that she created a space here to welcome the sick and needy people.
In the 19th century, at the time of the French invasions, the Palace was used as a military barracks and some architectural projects are known that were never implemented to adapt the building to the needs of the army.
In the following century, during the Estado Novo period, the decision was made to recover the Paço dos Duques house, rebuilt in a project that was initially carried out by the Architect Rogério de Azevedo.
The Intervention took place between 1937 and 1959, having been inaugurated on June 25, 1959, and during that same year it became the Official Residence of the President of the Republic in the north of the country.
In the century. XX, inserted in a national plan for the requalification of monuments, the Paço dos Duques de Bragança was restored, with work taking place between 1937 and 1959.
The initial project was due to the architect Rogério de Azevedo who had the local collaboration of Mr. Alfredo Guimarães, director of the Alberto Sampaio Museum.
In 1959 it opened to the public as a Museum with objects that were acquired by the «Furniture Commission» with museum collections from other museums.
Today the Paço dos Duques is a Museum much visited by tourists in the North of the country, and visitors can see some of the spaces used as the stately residence of the Dukes of Bragança in the 15th century, and can appreciate a collection of art objects from the 17th and 18th centuries: tapestries, porcelain, textiles, ceramics, paintings, furniture, sculptures and weapons.
The Palace of the Dukes was built by the eighth Count of Barcelos (and, later, the first Duke of Bragança), D. Afonso, illegitimate son of King D. João I and D. Inês Pires Esteves, and its construction took place between 1420 and 1433.
In 1401 D. Afonso married D. Beatriz, daughter of the Constable D. Nuno Álvares Pereira, from which date he began to bear the title of eighth Count of Barcelos.
The construction of the Palace began around 1420, during the second marriage of D. Afonso with D. Constança de Noronha, daughter of the Count of Gijón.
D. Afonso traveled across Europe on diplomatic commitments and on personal initiative, where he visited England, Scotland, Spain, France and Italy, having also participated in military campaigns in Ceuta.
In the year 1442, his brother D. Pedro, then Regent, granted him the title of Duke of Bragança, thus giving rise to one of the richest and most powerful manor houses in the Iberian Peninsula: “the House of Bragança”.
After the death of D. Afonso (1461), the widowed duchess continued to reside in the Palace until she died in 1480, and tradition says that she created a space here to welcome the sick and needy people.
In the 19th century, at the time of the French invasions, the Palace was used as a military barracks and some architectural projects are known that were never implemented to adapt the building to the needs of the army.
In the following century, during the Estado Novo period, the decision was made to recover the Paço dos Duques house, rebuilt in a project that was initially carried out by the Architect Rogério de Azevedo.
The Intervention took place between 1937 and 1959, having been inaugurated on June 25, 1959, and during that same year it became the Official Residence of the President of the Republic in the north of the country.
In the century. XX, inserted in a national plan for the requalification of monuments, the Paço dos Duques de Bragança was restored, with work taking place between 1937 and 1959.
The initial project was due to the architect Rogério de Azevedo who had the local collaboration of Mr. Alfredo Guimarães, director of the Alberto Sampaio Museum.
In 1959 it opened to the public as a Museum with objects that were acquired by the «Furniture Commission» with museum collections from other museums.
Today the Paço dos Duques is a Museum much visited by tourists in the North of the country, and visitors can see some of the spaces used as the stately residence of the Dukes of Bragança in the 15th century, and can appreciate a collection of art objects from the 17th and 18th centuries: tapestries, porcelain, textiles, ceramics, paintings, furniture, sculptures and weapons.
