Palmela Palace – Prosecutor General's Office

In the roughly 230 years of its existence, this complex of buildings and gardens has only known two types of occupation: up until 1977 it was a residence for the aristocracy and upper bourgeoisie and from 1982 to the present day it has been home to the Offices of the Attorney General of the Portuguese Republic. The palace, designed by the court architect as his own residence, was purchased at a public auction by the first Count of Póvoa. A subsequent intervention, possibly under the supervision of Luigi Chiari, focused on the chapel, central staircase and the building’s exterior. In the mid-19th century, it came into the hands of the Palmela family, who added the upper floor, a garden pavilion and the exterior cladding in pink marble stonework. The interior of one of the richest and best conserved palatial buildings in the city features works by Sequeira, Vieira Portuense and Soares dos Reis, to name just a few of the artists.