GUIDED TOUR

With its quadrangular layout, the Palace is tangent to Rua da Escola Politécnica, the principal façade being integrated in the enclosure wall. The main entrance to the Palace is made by this façade located at the ground floor, which confers it the appearance of an urban building, in strong contrast with its appearance when seen from the garden - not just because of its environmental integration, but also because of the fact that the vertical projections are of a lesser height. The entrance through the garden is located at the first floor.

Here nine openings can be found which align vertically with those on the remaining floors. In the center, the portal - no. 140 of Rua da Escola Politécnica - is flanked by two statues representing the Moral Strength an the Work.These statues are crowned with two segments of a curved pediment interrupted by the family coat or arms. This composition, which develops upward reaching the balcony of the first floor, has caused the walling up of the central window on the intermediary floor.

The statues are by A. Calmels, teacher of sculpture of the duchess D. Maria Luísa, and they date from the end of the last century.