Royal Treasury Museum Opens

Welcome to the place where a 226 year wait finally ended. The Ajuda National Palace, perched on this hilltop in the Belém district, opened its Royal Treasure Museum on June 1, 2022, unveiling over 1,000 pieces of Portugal's crown jewels that had never been displayed to the public before. This palace was born from disaster. When the catastrophic 1755 earthquake and tsunami leveled much of the city and destroyed the royal residence by the river, King José I ordered a new palace built here, safely away from the water and seismic danger.

Construction began in 1796, but the ambitious neoclassical design proved too grand. Only one fifth of the original plan was ever completed, and the west wing sat as an unfinished shell for over two centuries. Then architect João Carlos Santos stepped in with a bold solution. His contemporary design, completed at a cost of 31 million euros, finally closed the gap in the palace structure. Inside the new wing, the treasures of the House of Bragança now shine under museum lights.

King João VI's crown, diamond encrusted tiaras worn by Portuguese queens, and centuries old goldsmith masterpieces fill the galleries, each object a tangible piece of the nearly 800 years Portugal existed as a monarchy.