Dictatorship Palace, Portugal

The Dictatorship Palace is a spectacular example of a Portuguese residence. It is one of the most photographed Portuguese abandoned palaces. We visited this palace in the summer of 2017, during our Portugal Tour 2017. The rectangular central hall is four storeys tall. Ornate golden plasterwork and mouldings decorate the walls and ceiling. Four balconies overlook the hall, on the third floor. Two tall antique mirrors adorn the walls on the first floor, clouded by age and dust.

Built in the latter half of the 19th Century, the building is unassuming from the outside. Portugal was an affluent country at this time, fed by the flow of Brazilian gold into the capital. An affluent and successful professor of medicine once resided here. The Portuguese state acquired this building in the 1920s. The state made some minor modifications in the 1930s, reportedly. The building was abandoned, as it fell into disrepair.

A Palace In Limbo

In the mid-2000s a real estate company bought the Dictatorship Palace. The company paid around 20 million Euros for the site. They had plans to renovate the property and convert it into luxury accommodation. The plan was either to turn the palace into flats, or a luxury hotel. The city granted the necessary demolition plans. It is unclear why this company never began demolition.

Another real estate group bought the site a year later. Even with demolition plans in hand, no work began on the site. Around 6 years later, this real estate group filed for bankruptcy. An American creditor purchased their debt and property portfolio.

A group of activists occupied the building. The activists were enraged by the lack of action to preserve this historic building. They campaigned for renovation, but the new owners were unreceptive. Instead of answering their calls, they called the police to evict them. The building once again stood empty, with no signs of restoration or salvation.