Cidadela de Cascais Palace
Fifty years after being decommissioned, the Cascais Citadel Palace opened to the public in 2011.
In 1870, at a time when Cascais had already lost its strategic importance in the defense of the Lisbon coast, King Luís (reign: 1861-1889) adapted the old Citadel governor's house into a vacation residence, relieving it of its military function.
Until the regicide of King Carlos (r. 1889-1908), the royal family spent the months of September and October in Cascais every year, completely transforming the town's daily life. The presence of the monarch attracted not only the court but also intellectual and literary figures such as the group Vencidos da Vida, which included, among others, Eça de Queiroz and Ramalho Ortigão.
In 1882, the first Portuguese tide gauge was built next to the Príncipe Real D. Luís Filipe promenade - so named since 1896. From 1896 onwards, King Carlos dedicated himself to the study of the oceans, through oceanographic campaigns on the yacht Amélia, having installed the first Portuguese maritime biology laboratory in the Citadel.
With the proclamation of the Republic in 1910, the Palace became part of the Presidency and was used by various heads of state, including Marshal António Óscar de Fragoso Carmona (1928-1951) and Marshal Francisco Higino Craveiro Lopes (1951-1958).
Over the years the building has suffered the natural degradation of the passage of time, until it no longer meets the minimum conditions for use. As a result, and following the agreement to transfer the Cascais Citadel to the Municipality of Cascais in 2004, the process of rehabilitating the palace was also started in conjunction with the Presidency of the Republic.
With its opening to the public and the restoration of its function as the summer residence of the President of the Republic, Cascais now has another cultural space of reference, in which it is hoped to present a regular program of guided tours and temporary exhibitions, as well as initiatives such as conferences, seminars and book launches. In the medium term, the Presidency of the Republic plans to set up a museum center.
Palácio da Cidadela: Visits from Wednesday to Sunday, by appointment: Tel: 213 614 660 | Email: museu@presidencia.pt
Exhibition Gallery: Tuesday to Sunday 10h00 - 13h00 | 14h00 - 18h00 (last entry at 17h40)
More information at HERE
