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Portuguese architecture refers to both thearchitecture ofPortugal's modern-day territory inContinental Portugal, theAzores andMadeira, as well as the architectural heritage/patrimony of Portuguese architects and styles throughout the world, particularly in countries formerly part of thePortuguese Empire.
Like all aspects ofPortuguese culture, Portuguese architecture reflects the artistic influences of the various cultures that have either inhabited Portugal or come in contact with thePortuguese people throughout thehistory of Portugal, including theGallaecians,Lusitanians,Celtiberians,Romans,Suebi,Visigoths,Moors,Goans,Macanese,Kristang people, and many more. Because of the history of the Portuguese Empire, several countries across the world are home to sizable heritages ofPortuguese colonial architecture, notablyBrazil andUruguay in the Americas,Angola,Cabo Verde,São Tomé and Príncipe,Benin,Ghana,Morocco,Guinea Bissau,Zimbabwe, andMozambique in Africa, andChina,India,Indonesia,Malaysia, andTimor Leste in Asia.
Various artistic styles or movements have dominated Portuguese architecture throughout the ages, includingRomanesque,Gothic,Manueline,Portuguese Renaissance,Portuguese Baroque,Rococo,Pombaline,Neo-Manueline,Soft Portuguese style, andcontemporary architecture. Notable Portuguese architects of the past have includedDiogo de Arruda (15–16th c.),João Antunes (17th c.),Eugénio dos Santos andCarlos Mardel (18th c.),José Luis Monteiro (19th c.),Raul Lino,Cassiano Branco andFernando Távora (20th c.). Famous living architects includeGonçalo Byrne,Eduardo Souto de Moura (Pritzker winner),António Maria Braga,João Carrilho da Graça andÁlvaro Siza Vieira (Priktzer winner).
The earliest examples of architectural activity in Portugal date from theNeolithic and consist of structures associated withMegalith culture. The Portuguese hinterland is dotted with a large number ofdolmens (calledantas ordólmens),tumuli (mamoas) andmenhirs. TheAlentejo region is particularly rich in megalithic monuments, like the notableAnta Grande do Zambujeiro, located nearÉvora.Standing stones can be found isolated or forming circular arrays (stone circles orcromlechs). TheAlmendres Cromlech, also located near Évora, is the largest of the Iberian Peninsula, containing nearly 100 menhirs arranged in two elliptical arrays on an east–west orientation.
Celticpre-historic fortified villages dating from theChalcolithic are found along the Tagus river like that ofVila Nova de São Pedro, nearCartaxo, and theCastro of Zambujal, nearTorres Vedras. These sites were occupied in the period around 2500–1700BC and were surrounded by stone walls and towers, a sign of the conflicts of the time.
Starting around the 6th century BC, Northern Portugal, as well as neighbouringGalicia, saw the development of the CelticCastro culture (cultura castreja). This region was dotted withhillfort villages (calledcitânias orcividades) that for the most part continued to exist under Roman domination, when the area became incorporated into the province ofGallaecia. Notable archaeological castro sites are the Citânia de Sanfins, nearPaços de Ferreira,Citânia de Briteiros andCitânia de Sabroso [pt], nearGuimarães, and theCividade de Terroso, nearPóvoa do Varzim. For defensive reasons, these hillforts were built over elevated terrain and were surrounded by rings of stone walls (Terroso had three wall rings). The houses inside the castros are about 3.5 to 5 meters long, mostly circular with some rectangular, stone-made and with thatch roofs which rested on a wood column in the centre of the building. Their streets are somewhat regular, suggesting some form of central organization. Baths were built in some of them, like inBriteiros andSanfins.
Architecture developed significantly in the 2nd century BC with the arrival of theRomans, who called the Iberian PeninsulaHispania. Conquered settlements and villages were often modernised following Roman models, with the building of aforum, streets, theatres, temples, baths, aqueducts and other public buildings. An efficient array of roads and bridges was built to link the cities and other settlements.
Braga (Bracara Augusta) was the capital of theGallaecia province and still has vestiges of public baths, a public fountain (calledIdol's Fountain) and a theatre.Évora boasts a well-preservedRoman temple, probably dedicated to the cult ofEmperor Augustus. A Roman bridge crosses theTâmega River by the city ofChaves (Aquae Flaviae).Lisbon (Olissipo) has the remains of a theatre in theAlfama neighbourhood.
The best-preserved remains of a Roman village are those ofConimbriga, located nearCoimbra. The excavations revealed city walls, baths, the forum, an aqueduct, anamphitheatre, and houses for the middle classes (insulae), as well as luxurious mansions (domus) with central courtyards decorated with mosaics. Another important excavated Roman village isMiróbriga, nearSantiago do Cacém, with a well preserved Roman temple, baths, a bridge and the vestiges of the only Romanhippodrome known in Portugal.
In the hinterland, wealthy Romans establishedvillae, country houses dedicated to agriculture. Many villae contained facilities likes baths and were decorated with mosaics and paintings. Important sites are the Villae of Pisões (nearBeja), Torre de Palma (nearMonforte) and Centum Cellas (nearBelmonte). The latter has the well-preserved ruins of a three-storey tower which was part of the residence of the villa owner.
Roman domination in Hispania was ended with the invasions by Germanic peoples (especiallySueves andVisigoths) starting in the 5th century AD. Very few buildings survive from the period of Visigoth domination (c. 580–770), most of them modified in subsequent centuries. One of these is the smallSaint Frutuoso Chapel, near Braga, which was part of a Visigothic monastery built in the 7th century. The building has aGreek crossfloorplan with rectangular arms and a centralcupola; both the cupola and the arms of the chapel are decorated with arch reliefs. The chapel shows clear influences ofByzantine buildings like theMausoleum of Galla Placidia inRavenna.
After 711, in the period of dominance of the Iberian Peninsula by theMoors, the ChristianKingdom of Asturias (c.711–910), located in the Northern part of the peninsula, was a centre of resistance (seeReconquista). In addition, many Christians (Mozarabs) lived in Moorish territories and were allowed to practice their religion and build churches.Asturian architecture andMozarabic art influenced Christian buildings in the future Portuguese territory, as seen on the few structures that survived from this period. The most important of these is the Church of São Pedro de Lourosa, located nearOliveira do Hospital, which bears an inscription that gives 912 as the year of its construction. The church is abasilica with three aisles separated byhorseshoe arches, anarthex on the façade andmullioned, horseshoe-shaped windows of Asturian influence on the central aisle.
Other pre-Romanesque churches broadly attributed to a mixture of Asturian and Mozarabic features areSão Pedro de Balsemão, nearLamego, with abasilica floorplan, and the Chapel of São Gião, nearNazaré, all of which are disputed by some authors as buildings ofVisigoth origin, having had additional features incorporated at a later stage. The inner spaces of these buildings are all divided by typical horseshoe arches. TheVisigothic Saint Frutuoso Chapel was also modified in the 10th century, when the arm chapels were given a round floorplan and horseshoe arches.
The invasion of the Iberian Peninsula in the year 711 byMoors from theMaghreb put an end to Visigoth rule inHispania, calledAl-Andalus by the newcomers. Moorish presence influenced art and architecture, especially in Southern Portugal, where theReconquista was completed in 1249. Buildings during that period were often constructed withrammed earth (taipa) andadobe techniques, followed bywhitewashing. Traditional houses in cities and villages in Portugal may have simple, white façades evoking Islamic influence. Some Southern neighbourhoods like the oldAlfama district in Lisbon, have retained the street layouts from Muslim times. Contrasting with neighbouring Spain however, very few Islamic buildings in Portugal have survived intact to this day.
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Although many originated during the Islamic period, most Portuguese castles were extensively remodelled after the Christian reconquest.
The best-preserved isSilves Castle, located inSilves, the ancient capital of theAl-Garb, today'sAlgarve. Built between the 8th and 13th centuries, Silves Castle has preserved its walls and square-shaped towers from the Moorish period, as well as 11th-centurycisterns – water reservoirs used in case of asiege. The old centre of the city – theAlmedina – was defended by a wall and several fortified towers and gates, parts of which were preserved.
Another notable Islamic castle in the Algarve isPaderne Castle, whose ruined walls evidence thetaipa building technique used in its construction. TheSintra Moorish Castle near Lisbon, has also kept some remains of walls and a cistern from that time. Part of the Moorish city walls have been preserved in Lisbon (the so-calledCerca Velha) and Évora, and Moorish city gates with a characteristic horseshoe-arched profile can be found inFaro andElvas.
Manymosques were built in Portuguese territory during Muslim domination, but virtually all were either destroyed or altered and turned into churches and cathedrals.The only clear example of a former mosque in Portugal is present-day Mértola's Main Church, initiallyMértola Mosque built in the 12th century. Once the village was reconquered, the mosque was partially altered and converted into a church. Its interior has a nearly square-shaped floorplan with 4 aisles, and a total of 12 columns supporting a subsequent 16th-centuryManuelinerib vaulting, modifications to the roof, and removal of aisles added Christian architectural features to the structure. Despite the changes, the originallabyrinthic interior with its "forest" of pillars, three horseshoe arches with analfiz the inner wall with a decorated niche, amihrab pointing toMecca, all show the same contemporary Islamic features found in Spain and the Maghreb.
TheRomanesque style was introduced in Portugal between the end of the 11th and the beginning of the 12th century. The most influential of the first Portuguese Romanesque monuments wereBraga Cathedral and theMonastery of Rates. The Cathedral of Braga was rebuilt in the 1070s by bishop Pedro and consecrated in 1089, although only theapse was finished at the time. The bishop's ambitious plan was to create apilgrimage church, with a threeaislednave, anambulatory and a largetransept. A relic of this early project may be a small Eastern chapel located nowadays outside the church itself.
Building activity gained pace after 1095, whenCount Henry took possession of theCondado Portucalense. Count Henry came to Portugal with a number of noblemen and alsoBenedictine monks ofCluny Abbey, which was headed by Henry's brother,Hugh. The Benedictines and other religious orders gave great impulse to Romanesque architecture during the whole 12th century. Count Henry sponsored the building of theMonastery of Rates (begun in 1096), one of the fundamental works of the first Portuguese Romanesque, although the project was modified several times during the 12th century. The relevance of its architecture and sculptures with diverse architectural influences make this temple a case study that is reflected in the production of further Romanesque art of the nascent kingdom of Portugal.
The worships of Braga and Rates were very influential in Northern Portugal. Extant 12th-century Romanesque monastic churches are found in Manhente (nearBarcelos), with a portal dating from around 1117; Rio Mau (nearVila do Conde); with an exceptional apse dating from 1151; Travanca (nearAmarante); Paço de Sousa (nearPenafiel); Bravães (nearPonte da Barca),Pombeiro (nearFelgueiras) and many others.
The spread of Romanesque in Portugal followed the north–south path of theReconquista, specially during the reign ofAfonso Henriques, Count Henry's son and firstKing of Portugal. InCoimbra, Afonso Henriques created theSanta Cruz Monastery, one of the most important of the monastic foundations of the time, although the current building is the result of a 16th-century remodelling. Afonso Henriques and his successors also sponsored the building of many cathedrals in the bishop seats of the country. This generation of Romanesque cathedrals included the already-mentioned Braga,Porto,Coimbra,Viseu,Lamego andLisbon.
All Portuguese Romanesque cathedrals were later extensively modified with the exception of theCathedral of Coimbra (begun 1162), which has remained unaltered. Coimbra Cathedral is aLatin cross church with a three-aislednave, atransept with short arms and three East chapels. The central aisle is covered by a stonebarrel vaulting while the lateral aisles are covered bygroin vaults. The second storey of the central aisle has an arched gallery (triforium), and thecrossing is topped by adome. This general scheme is related to that of theCathedral of Santiago de Compostela inGalicia, although the Coimbra building is much less ambitious.
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Lisbon Cathedral (begunc. 1147) is very similar to Coimbra Cathedral, except that the West façade is flanked by two massive towers, a feature observed in other cathedrals like Porto and Viseu. In general, Portuguese cathedrals had a heavy, fortress-like appearance, withcrenellations and little decoration apart from portals and windows.
A remarkable religious Romanesque building is the Round Church (Rotunda) in theCastle of Tomar, which was built in the second half of the 12th century by theTemplar Knights. The church is a round structure with a central arched octagon, and was probably modelled after theDome of the Rock inJerusalem, which was mistakenly believed by thecrusaders to be a remnant of theTemple of Solomon. TheChurch of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem may also have served as model.
The troubled times of the PortugueseReconquista meant that many castles had to be built to protect villages from Moor and Castilian attacks. King Afonso Henriques sponsored the building of many fortifications (often transforming Moorish castles such asLisbon Castle) and granted land to Military Orders – specially theTemplar Knights and theKnights Hospitallers – who became responsible for the defence of borders and villages. The Templar Knights built several fortresses along the line of theTagus river, like the castles ofPombal,Tomar andBelver andAlmourol. They are credited as having introduced thekeep to Portuguese military architecture.
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Gothic architecture was brought to Portugal by theCistercian Order. The first fully Gothic building in Portugal is the church of theMonastery of Alcobaça, a magnificent example of the clear and simple architectural forms favoured by the Cistercians. The church was built between 1178 and 1252 in three phases, and seems inspired by theAbbey of Clairvaux, in theChampagne. Its three aisles are very tall and slender, giving an exceptional impression of height. The whole church is covered byrib vaulting and the main chapel has anambulatory and a series of radiant chapels. The vault of the ambulatory is externally supported byflying buttresses, typical features of Gothic architecture and a novelty at the time in Portugal.
After the foundation of Alcobaça, the Gothic style was chiefly disseminated bymendicant orders (mainlyFranciscan,Augustinians andDominicans). Along the 13th and 14th centuries, several convents were founded in urban centres, important examples of which can be found inPorto (São Francisco Church), Coimbra (Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha),Guimarães (São Francisco, São Domingos),Santarém (São Francisco, Santa Clara),Elvas (São Domingos), Lisbon (ruins of Carmo Convent) and many other places. Mendicant Gothic churches usually had a three-aislednave covered with wooden roof and anapse with three chapels covered with rib vaulting. These churches also lacked towers and were mostly devoid of architectural decoration, in tone with mendicant ideals. Mendicant Gothic was also adopted in several parish churches built all over the country, for instance inSintra (Santa Maria),Mafra,Lourinhã andLoulé.
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Many of the Romanesque cathedrals were modernised with Gothic elements. Thus, the Romanesque nave ofPorto Cathedral is supported by flying buttresses, one of the first built in Portugal (early 13th century). The apse ofLisbon Cathedral was totally remodelled in the first half of the 14th century, when it gained a Gothic ambulatory illuminated by aclerestory (high row of windows on the upper storey). The ambulatory has a series of radiant chapels illuminated with large windows, contrasting with the dark Romanesque nave of the cathedral.
An important transitional building isÉvora Cathedral, built during the 13th century; even though its floorplan, façade and elevation are inspired by Lisbon Cathedral, its forms (arches, windows, vaults) are already Gothic. Many Gothic churches maintained the fortress-like appearance of Romanesque times, like the already-mentioned Évora Cathedral, the Church of the Monastery of Leça do Balio (14th century) nearMatosinhos, and even as late as the 15th-century, with the Main Church ofViana do Castelo.
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Several Gothiccloisters were built and can still be found in the Cathedrals of Porto, Lisbon and Évora (all from the 14th century) as well as in monasteries like Alcobaça,Santo Tirso and theConvent of the Order of Christ.
In the early 15th century, the building of theMonastery of Batalha, sponsored byKing John I, led to a renovation of Portuguese Gothic. After 1402, the works were trusted toMaster Huguet, of unknown origin, who introduced the Flamboyant Gothic style to the project. The whole building is decorated with Gothic pinnacles (crockets), reliefs, large windows with intrincatetracery and elaboratecrenellations. The main portal has a series ofarchivolts decorated with a multitude of statues, while thetympanum has a relief showing Christ and the Evangelists. The Founder's Chapel and the Chapter House have elaborate star-ribbed vaulting, unknown in Portugal until then. Batalha influenced 15th-century workshops like those ofGuarda Cathedral,Silves Cathedral and monasteries inBeja (Nossa Senhora da Conceição) and Santarém (Convento da Graça).
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Another Gothic variant was the so-called Mudéjar-Gothic, a fashion which developed in Portugal towards the end of the 15th century, particularly in the southern region ofAlentejo. The nameMudéjar refers to the influence of Islamic art in the Christian kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula, specially in the Middle Ages. In the Alentejo, Mudéjar influence in several buildings is evident in the profile of windows and portals, often with horseshoearches and amullion, circularturrets with conicalpinnacles, Islamicmerlons etc., as well astile (azulejo) decoration. Examples include the portico ofSt Francis Church of Évora, the courtyard of theSintra Royal Palace and several churches and palaces in Évora, Elvas, Arraiolos, Beja, etc. Múdejar eventually gave in to the Manueline style in the early 16th century.
During the Gothic era, several castles had to be either built or reinforced, especially along the border with theKingdom of Castille. Compared to previous castles, Gothic castles in Portugal tended to have more towers, often of circular or semi-circular plan (to increase resistance to projectiles),keep towers tended to be polygonal, and castle gates were often defended by a pair of flanking towers. A second, lower wall curtain (barbicans) were often built along the perimeter of the main walls to prevent war machines from approaching the castle. Features likemachicolations and improvedarrowslits became also widespread.
Starting in the 14th century, keep towers became larger and more sophisticated, with rib vaulting roofs and facilities like fireplaces. Keep towers with improved residential characteristics can be found in the castles ofBeja,Estremoz andBragança, while some later castles (15th century) became real palaces, like those inPenedono,Ourém andPorto de Mós. The most significant case is theCastle of Leiria, turned into a royal palace by King John I. Some rooms of the palace are decorated with splendid Gothicloggias, from which the surrounding landscape could be appreciated by the King and Queen.
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The Manueline style, or Portuguese late Gothic, is the flamboyant, compositePortuguese style of architectural ornamentation of the first decades of the 16th century, incorporating maritime elements and representations of the discoveries brought from the voyages ofVasco da Gama andPedro Álvares Cabral. This innovative style synthesizes aspects of LateGothic architecture with influences of theSpanishPlateresque style,Mudéjar,Italian urban architecture, andFlemish elements. It marks the transition fromLate Gothic toRenaissance architecture. The construction of churches and monasteries in Manueline, especially inLioz, or royal stone, was largely financed by proceeds of the lucrativespice trade with Africa and India.
Although the period of this style did not last long (from 1490 to 1520), it played an important part in the development of Portuguese art. The influence of the style outlived the king. Celebrating the newly maritime power, it manifested itself in architecture (churches, monasteries, palaces, castles) and extended into other arts such as sculpture, painting, works of art made of precious metals,faience and furniture.
The first known building in Manueline style is theMonastery of Jesus of Setúbal. The church of the monastery was built from 1490 to 1510 byDiogo Boitac, an architect considered one of the main creators of the style. Thenave of the church has threeaisles of equal height, revealing an attempt to unify inner space which reaches its climax in the nave of the church of theJerónimos Monastery in Lisbon, finished in the 1520s by architect João de Castilho.
The nave of the Setúbal Monastery is supported by spiralling columns, a typical Manueline feature that is also found in the nave ofGuarda Cathedral and the parish churches ofOlivenza,Freixo de Espada à Cinta,Montemor-o-Velho and others. Manueline buildings also usually carry elaborate portals with spiralling columns, niches and loaded with Renaissance and Gothic decorative motifs, like in Jerónimos Monastery,Santa Cruz Monastery of Coimbra and many others.
The adoption of the austereRenaissance style did not catch on well in Portugal. Introduced by a French architect in 1517, it was mainly practiced from the 1530s on by foreign architects and was therefore calledestrangeirada (foreign-influenced). In later years this style slowly evolved intoMannerism. The painter and architectFrancisco de Holanda, writer of the bookDiálogos da Pintura Antiga ("Dialogues on Ancient Painting"), disseminated in this treatise the fundamentals of this new style.
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The basilica ofNossa Senhora da Conceição inTomar was one of the earliest churches in pure Renaissance style. It was begun by the Castilian architectDiogo de Torralva in the period 1532–1540. Its beautiful and clear architecture turns it into one of the best early Renaissance buildings in Portugal. The small church ofBom Jesus de Valverde, south of Évora, attributed to bothManuel Pires andDiogo de Torralva, is another early example.
The most eminent example of this style is theClaustro de D. João III (Cloister of John III) in theConvent of the Order of Christ in Tomar. Started under the Portuguese KingJohn III, it was finished during the reign ofPhilip I of Portugal (alsoKing of Spain under the name of Philip II). The first architect was the Spaniard Diogo de Torralva, who began the work in 1557, only to be finished in 1591 by Philip II's architect, the Italian Filippo Terzi. This magnificent, two-storey cloister is considered one of the most important examples of Mannerist architecture in Portugal.
However, the best known Portuguese architect in this period wasAfonso Álvares, whose works include the cathedrals ofLeiria (1551–1574),Portalegre (begun 1556), and theChurch of São Roque in Lisbon. During this period he evolved into the Mannerist style.
This last church was completed by theJesuit architect, the ItalianFilippo Terzi, who also built the Jesuit college at Évora, theMonastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon and the episcopal palace in Coimbra. He had an enormous production and, besides churches, he also built several aqueducts and fortresses.
In his wake came several Portuguese architects:
During the union of Portugal and Spain, the period between 1580 and 1640, a new style developed called"Arquitecture chã" (plain architecture) by George Kubler.[1] Basically mannerist, this style also marked by a clear structure, a sturdy appearance with smooth, flat surfaces and a moderate arrangement of space, lacking excessive decorations. It is a radical break with the decorativeManueline style. This simplified style, caused by limited financial resources, expresses itself in the construction ofhall churches and less impressive buildings. In resistance to theBaroque style that was already the standard in Spain, the Portuguese continued to apply the plain style to express their separate identity as a people.
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When kingPhilip II made hisJoyous Entry in Lisbon in 1619, several temporary triumphal arches were erected in theFlemish style ofHans Vredeman de Vries. The tract literature ofWendel Dietterlin[2] also increased the interest in FlemishBaroquearchitecture andart. This influence can be seen in the façade of the S Lourenço or Grilos church in Porto, begun in 1622 by Baltasar Alvares.
One of the most spectacular undertaking was however the building in Rome of theSt John the Baptist chapel with the single purpose of obtaining the blessing of the popeBenedict XIV for this chapel. The chapel was designed byLuigi Vanvitelli in 1742 and built byNicola Salvi in the church S. Antonio dei Portoghesi. After the benediction, the chapel was disassembled and transported to Lisbon. It was assembled again in 1747 in the S Roque church. It is opulently decorated withporphyry, the rarest marbles andprecious stones. Its design already foreshadows the classical revival.
José Fernandes Pereira[3] identified the first period from 1651 to 1690 as a period of experimentation. This period saw the rise of the combination ofazulejos and the use of carved gilded wood (talha dourada) on altars and ceilings.
Other works in this period include :
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Baroque architecture in Portugal enjoys a very special situation and a different timeline from the rest of Europe. It is conditioned by several political, artistic and economic factors, that originate several phases, and different kinds of outside influences, resulting in a unique blend.
The year 1697 is an important year for Portuguese architecture. In that year gold, gems and later diamonds were found inMinas Gerais, Brazil. Mining exploration was strongly controlled by the Portuguese Crown, which imposed heavy taxes on everything extracted (one fifth of all gold would go to the Crown). These enormous proceeds caused Portugal to prosper and become the richest country of Europe in the 18th century.
In the reign of KingKing John V, the baroque underwent a time of splendour and wealth completely new in Portugal. Despite the destruction wreaked by the 1755 earthquake, the quality of the buildings which have survived to this day is still impressive. The Palácio da Ribeira, the Royal Chapel (both destroyed in the earthquake) and theMafra National Palace, are the main works of the King. TheÁguas Livres Aqueduct brings water toLisbon covering a distance of 11.18 miles, with emphasis on the section over the Alcântara valley because of the monumentality of the imposing arches. However, across the country, are still visible marks of the pomp of the time in major or small works. Thegilded woodcarving took on national characteristics because of the significance and richness of the decorations. The painting, sculpture, decorative arts andtiling also experienced great development.
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TheMafra National Palace is among the most sumptuous Baroque buildings in Portugal. This monumental palace-monastery-church complex is even larger than theEl Escorial, an immense 16th-century Spanish royal palace north ofMadrid to emphasize the symbolic affirmation of his power. The king appointedJohann Friedrich Ludwig (known in Portugal as João Frederico Ludovice) as the architect. This German goldsmith had received some experience as an architect, working for the Jesuits in Rome. His design for the palace is a synthesis ofSt. Peter's Basilica in theVatican, the JesuitSant'Ignazio church in Rome and thePalazzo Montecitorio, designed byGian Lorenzo Bernini.
This design was in line with the king's desire to imitatethe Eternal City, and with his ambition to found a "second Rome" at the riverTagus. His envoys in Rome had to provide the king with models and floor plans of manyRoman monuments.
One of these was the Patriarchal palace in Lisbon. The Piedmontese architectFilippo Juvarra was brought to Lisbon to draw up the plans. But this project was also toned down because Juvarra only stayed for a few months and left – breaking his contract – for London.
Other important constructions were :
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Rococo architecture enteredPortugal through the north, whileLisbon, due to the court pomp, remained in the Baroque. It is an architecture that follows the international taste in decoration, and, as a result of the contrast between dark granite and white walls, has a clearly Portuguese profile. The decoration is naturalist, based mainly in shells and leaves but also with architectural elements and sculpture.
Pilgrimage places became fashionable, often built in places of rough prominence, allowing impressive staircases of big scenographic effect. André Soares worked in the region ofBraga, and produced some of the main examples such as Falperra Sanctuary, Congregados Church, theBraga City Hall and Casa do Raio, among many others. The number of buildings and architects is large and, because the north ofPortugal was spared from the ravages of the1755 Lisbon earthquake, there is a large number of buildings.
A different and more exuberant Baroque style with someRococo touches, more reminiscent of the style inCentral Europe, developed in the northern part of Portugal. The Italian architectNicolau Nasoni designed the church and the spectacular granite tower ofSão Pedro dos Clérigos inPorto. One of his successors was the painter and architect José de Figueiredo Seixas, who had been one of his disciples. The sanctuaryBom Jesus do Monte near Braga, built by the architect Carlos Luis Ferreira Amarante is a notable example of a pilgrimage site with a monumental, cascading Baroque stairway that climbs 116 metres. This last example already shows the shift in style toNeo-classicism.
ThePalácio do Raio (byAndré Soares) is an outstanding Baroque-Rococo urban palace with richly decorated façade inBraga. Several country houses and manors in late-Baroque style were built in this period. Typical examples are the homes of the Lobo-Machado family (inGuimarães), the Malheiro (Viana do Castelo) and theMateus (Vila Real).
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The1755 Lisbon earthquake and the subsequent tsunami and fires destroyed many buildings inLisbon.Joseph I of Portugal and his Prime MinisterSebastião de Melo, Marquis of Pombal hired architects and engineers to rebuild the damaged portions of Lisbon, including thePombaline Downtown.
The Pombaline style is a secular, utilitarian architecture marked bypragmatism. It follows the Plain style of the military engineers, with regular, rational arrangements, mixed with Rococo details and a Neo-classical approach to structure. The Baixadistrict of Lisbon was rebuilt byEugénio dos Santos andCarlos Mardel. The Marquis of Pombal imposed strict conditions on the rebuilding. Architectural models were tested by having troops march around them to simulate an earthquake, making the Pombaline one of the first examples of earthquake-resistant construction. ThePraça do Comércio, the Augusta street and the Avenida da Liberdade are notable examples of this architecture. This Square of Commerce was given a regular, rational arrangement in line with the reconstruction of the new Pombaline Downtown, the Baixa.
The Pombaline style of architecture is also to be found inVila Real de Santo António (1773–1775) a new town in theAlgarve, built by Reinaldo Manuel dos Santos. The style is clearly visible in the urban arrangement and especially in the main square.
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The arrival of neoclassical trends in Portugal were largely postponed due to the reconstruction efforts following the1755 Lisbon earthquake. It was the 1770s that ushered in the era ofneoclassical architecture, with the simultaneous constructions of theRoyal Riding Hall of Belém, in Lisbon, andSanto António Hospital in Porto, byJohn Carr. Quickly after its introduction to mainstream Portuguese architecture, two emergent schools of neoclassicism in Portugal emerged: a northern school, based inPorto andBraga, which was greatly influenced by British neoclassicism andPalladian architecture, and a southern school based inLisbon, largely influenced by Italian and later French trends.
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Though neoclassical trends persisted throughout Portugal well beyond the larger European period of neoclassicism, Porto produced the greatest number of architects and buildings practicing neoclassical styles, the movement not having gained as much support or traction in Lisbon. Of the northern school,Carlos Amarante was one of the most popular architects in both Porto and Braga, designing numerous notable landmarks in either city, including theUniversity of Porto Rectory in Porto and theBom Jesus do Monte andPópulo Churches in Braga.
Notable works in the northern tradition:
Notable works in the southern tradition:
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The Neo-Manueline style, arevival style of late 16th century Portuguese Late GothicManueline, was the primary architectural expression ofRomanticism in Portugal, owing to its highly nationalistic characteristics and history, which flourished from the middle of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th in Portugal andBrazil, and to a lesser extent other parts of theLusofonia (Portuguese speaking world).
The style, which rose during a time ofRomantic nationalism, heavily features Portuguese national symbols, including thearmillary sphere, theCross of the Order of Christ, and elements of theCoat of arms of Portugal, as well as symbols of thePortuguese Discoveries, such as twisted ropes, exotic fruits and vegetables (like pineapples and artichokes), sea monsters, and sea plants (like coral and algae branches).
The first recognized Neo-Manueline architectural works were done between 1839 and 1849 with the building ofPena National Palace, inSintra, by KingFerdinand II of Portugal. A romanticist palace fusing Neo-Manueline,Neo-Mudéjar, andPortuguese Renaissance characteristics, Pena Palace's large Neo-Manueline Window is a 19th-century adaptation of the large Manueline Window of theConvent of Christ of Tomar.
While Neo-Manueline buildings can be found throughout all of Portugal and theLusofonia, the greatest concentration of works are located in Lisbon, from where the majority of original Manueline designs and monuments are found, and the nearbyPortuguese Riviera, notablySintra.
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TheNeo-Mudéjar is a type of exuberantMoorish Revival architecture practiced in theIberian Peninsula, and to a lesser extentIbero-America, which evokes theMoorish heritage of Iberia, a fashion which flourished at the end of the 19th century and early 20th century. The style's popularity in Portugal was vastly concentrated inLisbon and thePortuguese Riviera, and the southern regions of theAlgarve and theAlentejo, as these had the most visible Moorish heritage in the country.
Like the Neo-Manueline revival, the first works of Neo-Mudéjar in Portugal were done between 1839 and 1849 with the building ofPena National Palace, a romanticist palace fusing Neo-Manueline, Neo-Mudéjar, andPortuguese Renaissance characteristics inSintra. Sintra soon became home to other notable Neo-Mudéjar estates, such asMonserrate Palace, designed byJames Thomas Knowles, andQuinta do Relógio, designed by António da Fonseca Júnior, characterised by often fantastical, fairytale like architectural and decorative features en vogue in other parts of Europe such as Austria and Germany.
Notable works in Lisbon include large monuments like theCampo Pequeno Bullring, dating from 1892 and designed by architect António José Dias da Silva, as well as numerous famous estates, such as the 1877 Palácio Ribeira da Cunha in the Príncipe Real district and 1891 Palácio Conceição da Silva, on theAvenida da Liberdade.
The style's expression in theNorth of Portugal is primarily used in interior design, such as the sumptuousSala Arabe ofPalácio da Bolsa, in Porto, or is heavily altered and mixed with other revival styles and trends in building exteriors, like Porto'sDevesas Factory Warehouse
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Cast-iron architecture, known simply as iron architecture in Portuguese (arquitetura de ferro), largely began to manifest during the last quarter of the 19th century. While revolutionary in regards to technical advancement, structural integrity, and other engineering feats, the stylistic trends of iron architecture were almost completely based inhistoricism and revival styles.
The application of iron architecture was limited to certain fields of building, largely either infrastructural, such as bridges, railway stations, and elevators, or buildings relevant to the common good, such as exhibition halls, municipal markets, or commercial centers.
Notable iron structures in Portugal include:
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Art Nouveau, known in Portugal asArte Nova, had a late arrival and short duration in the history of Portugal, flourishing largely between 1905 and 1920. In terms of international relationships, Portuguese Arte Nova is more in line with the school of French Art Nouveau than the Austrian schools of the time. The use of Arte Nova was largely spread by the urban elite of thePortuguese aristocracy, primarily in port cities such as Lisbon, Porto, and Aveiro.
The concept defining Art Nouveau variation ofAveiro (Portugal) calledArte Nova was ostentation: the style was brought by a conservative bourgeoisie who wanted to express their might by decorative façades leaving interiors conservative.[4] Another distinctive feature of Arte Nova was using locally produced tiles with Art Nouveau motifs.[4]
There most notable examples of Arte Nova in Portugal, outside of Aveiro, include:[5][6]
The most influential artist of Arte Nova is Francisco Augusto da Silva Rocha.[4] He designed many buildings both in Aveiro and in other cities in Portugal,[7] while actually not being an architect (it was common for Aveiro that time).[4] One of them has both an exterior and interior of Art Nouveau and now hosts the Museum of Arte Nova – it is the Major Pessoa Residence. Another notable example is the Former Cooperativa Agrícola featuring hand-painted tiles. There are some Art Nouveau sculptures at the Central cemetery of Aveiro as well.[4]
One of the top architecture schools in the world, known as "Escola do Porto" or School ofPorto, is located in Portugal. Its alumni includeFernando Távora,Álvaro Siza (winner of the 1992Pritzker prize) andEduardo Souto de Moura (winner of the 2011Pritzker prize). Its modern heir is theFaculdade de Arquitectura (School of Architecture) of theUniversity of Porto.
Although Portuguese architecture is usually associated with the internationally accredited Alvaro Siza, there are others equally responsible for the positive trends in current architecture. "Many Portuguese architects are sons of Siza, but Tavora is a grandfather to all of us". The influence of Sizas own teacher, Fernando Tavora, echoes across generations.[8]
TheFundação Calouste Gulbenkian, built in 1960s and designed by Rui Atouguia, Pedro Cid, and Alberto Pessoa, is one of the very best, defining examples of 20th-century Portuguese architecture.
In PortugalTomás Taveira is also noteworthy, particularly due to stadium design.[9][10][11] Other renowned Portuguese architects includePancho Guedes,Gonçalo Byrne andAntónio Maria Braga.
Carrilho da Graça’s Centro de Documentação da Presidência da República (Documentation Archive of thePresident of the Portuguese Republic), is one of Lisbon's best-kept architectural secrets.[citation needed]
There is a new generation of Portuguese architects with remarkable works being awarded internationally.[12]The Prize Europe 40 Under 40, created by The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design, have awardedFilipa Frois Almeida,Hugo Reis,Diogo Aguiar,Raulino Silva eBruno André with the Europe 40 Under 40 Prize.
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| Styles |  | |
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| Elements | ||
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| Others | ||
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