Ajuda, Lisbon

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Ajuda

Ajuda is a neighborhood situated on a coastal hillside facing the Tagus River, a former agricultural area where palaces of the nobility and houses of the people who worked the land once existed. The Ajuda neighborhood grew due to the apparition of Our Lady, a miracle that led to the construction of the Chapel of Our Lady of Ajuda in the 16th century, six years later in 1551, and with the creation of the parish of Ajuda in 1557. After the earthquake of November 1, 1755, King Dom José I ordered the construction of the National Palace of Ajuda, which became the official residence of the Portuguese Royal Family. In 1852, the parish of Ajuda was integrated into the municipality of Belém until 1885, when it became part of the city of Lisbon again.

Attractions to visit in the Ajuda neighborhood (top 10)
National Palace of Ajuda: located on Ajuda hill, it is the only palace in Lisbon that has unchanged decoration and rooms since the 19th century. The Ajuda National Palace was commissioned by King Dom José I (1714-1777) after the Lisbon earthquake of November 1, 1755, based on two designs: one from 1795 by Manuel Caetano de Sousa and another by Francisco Xavier Fabri and José da Costa e Silva in 1802. The Ajuda National Palace was inhabited by the Portuguese Royal Family from its inauguration until the departure of King Dom João VI for Brazil due to the Napoleonic Invasions of 1807. The Ajuda National Palace was the official residence of several kings and queens of Portugal, including Dom Pedro IV, Dona Maria II, Dom Luís I, and Dom Carlos. The Ajuda National Palace was closed with the establishment of the Republic on October 5, 1910, and after that time could only be visited with government authorization. On August 20, 1968, the Ajuda National Palace reopened to the public, and in 2007 it became part of the Institute of Museums and Conservation.

The main points of interest are:

the Ajuda Library, the former royal library;
the King Dom Luís I Painting Gallery, with the private collection of Dom Luís I;
the Enrique Casanova Watercolor Album, which depicts nineteen rooms of the Royal Palaces of Ajuda, Cascais and Sintra;
the Dispatch Room: the place where the King dealt with official matters. This room stands out for its six 18th-century paintings and a watercolor by Enrique Casanova (1850-1913); the Music Room, notable for its grand piano and harp by Sebastian Erard; the Blue Room, a room designed by Joaquim Possidónio Narciso da Silva (1806-1861), with its blue silk wall covering and a watercolor by Enrique Casanova as its main points of interest. The Blue Room was the living room of the Royal Family; the Marble Room, with its alabaster donated by the Viceroy of Egypt to the King of Portugal and its Carrara marble fountain. The room was used as a dining room;
the Green Room was the work and painting room of Queen Maria Pia and was the place where Dom Carlos was born on September 28, 1863. In the Green Room are paintings by João Pedroso Gomes da Silva (1825-1890) and Joseph Layraud (1833-1913);
the Dining Room, designed by Leandro Braga (1839-1897), stands out for its dining table and twelve leather chairs;
the Queen’s Portrait Room, with a portrait of Queen Maria Pia (1847-1911), at the time 33 years old, by Carolus Duran (1837-1917). It is one of the highlights of the Ajuda National Palace;
the Throne Room, with thrones from the second half of the 18th century as the main highlights;
and the Great Dining Room: the room where the great banquets and parties of the Royal Family were held. It was in this place that Dom Miguel (1802-1866) was acclaimed King of Portugal in 1828 and where Dom Carlos (1863-1908) married in 1886. In the Great Dining Room, the sideboards, tables, silverware from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries and the 18th-century Chinese porcelain stand out.

Ajuda Botanical Garden is the first Botanical Garden in Portugal designed to maintain, study, and collect as many plant species as possible. It was created by order of King D. José in 1768 with the aim of educating his princes, with a design by Domingos Vandelli, an Italian botanist. Currently, the Ajuda Botanical Garden has architecture based on Renaissance models with roofs carved into the hillside, sculpted stone, plants, fountains, and lakes. The Ajuda Botanical Garden includes the Garden of Aromas with aromatic and medicinal plants, designed for the blind. Since 1910, the Ajuda Botanical Garden has been a teaching and research infrastructure of the Technological Support Unit of ISA. The Ajuda Botanical Garden offers guided tours and themed workshops.

Tapada da Ajuda, located in Alto da Ajuda, covers approximately 100 hectares and includes the Higher Institute of Agronomy, the Lisbon Astronomical Observatory, an Exhibition Pavilion, and a viewpoint overlooking the Tagus River. The Royal Hunting Grounds of Alcântara were created by King Dom João V in 1645. The main points of interest are:

Higher Institute of Agronomy, inaugurated in 1917, designed by Adães Bermudes (1864-1948);
Lisbon Astronomical Observatory, inaugurated in 1850 with the aim of observing the star Argelander, due to Lisbon’s privileged location being considered a prime area in Europe for observing this star. The observatory was restored in 1999;
Exhibition Pavilion, inaugurated in 1884 to host the Third Agricultural Exhibition of Lisbon. The building was designed by the architect Pedro d’Avilla;
Stone Amphitheater, with a capacity for approximately 3,000 people, built in the 1940s by Francisco Caldeira Cabral;
Junot’s Bench, according to local stories, the French General Junot, when he was stationed at the Ajuda National Palace, used to go to Tapada and sit on a bench to observe the Tagus River and the sunset;
Dom António Xavier Pereira Coutinho Natural Botanical Reserve, inaugurated in 1923, and in 1951 it was renamed the current Dom António Xavier Pereira Coutinho Natural Botanical Reserve. Located above the Exhibition Pavilion, it includes more than 200 species, among them wild olive trees, buckthorns or buckthorns;
Viewpoint, located at 135 meters altitude, stands out for its panoramic view over the Tagus River, its tiles and the existence of one of the oldest geodetic markers in Portugal.

Ajuda Cemetery, is a cemetery inaugurated in 1787 by order of Queen Dona Maria I (1734-1815) for the poorest populations of Belém and Ajuda and for the employees of the Royal House; located on Calçada do Galvão, it is part of the route of Tram 18E. The highlights of the Ajuda Cemetery are: the four statues located after the entrance, representing justice, hope, strength, and truth; the four statues located in front of the chapel, symbolizing faith, humility, prayer, and charity; and the monument dedicated to those who died in the May 1915 Revolution. and the Tombs of important figures in Portuguese society, namely the President of the Republic Américo Thomaz (1894-1987), the architect Domingos Parente da Silva (1836-1901), Admiral Gago Coutinho (1869-1901), and the footballer from the Os Belenenses club, Matateu (1927-2000).

Monsanto Forest Park, located on the outskirts of Lisbon, encompasses the seven parishes of Benfica, São Domingos de Benfica, Campolide, Campo de Ourique, Belém, Ajuda, and Alcântara. The Monsanto Forest Park, with approximately one thousand hectares, is the largest urban forest park in Europe. The main highlights are: the Viewpoint; the Amphitheater; the Picnic Area; the Camping Park; the Fitness Trail; the Riding Arena; the Tennis, Football, and Rugby Courts; and the skate park.

Church of Our Lady of Deliverance and Saint Joseph: located on Calçada da Memória, it is also known as the Church of Memory. The church was built by King Dom José I as a way of thanking Saint Joseph for surviving an assassination attempt in 1758. The Church of Our Lady of Deliverance and Saint Joseph was designed by the architect Giovanni Carlo Bibienna, construction began in 1760 and it was inaugurated in 1788. Mateus Vicente de Oliveira was appointed to finish the church’s construction. Points of interest in the Church of Our Lady of Deliverance and Saint Joseph are: the balconies in cherry and Pau Brasil wood; the Vila Viçosa marble floor; the painting of the The main altar by Pedro Alexandrino depicting King Dom José thanking Our Lady of Deliverance; the nineteen rosettes in the transverse arches; the Eye of God; and the Tomb of the Marquis of Pombal, which was transferred to this church in 1923.

Portugal Hall, is the headquarters of the Brazilian Olympic Committee. Owned by Nicolau Veríssimo, it was built on Travessa da Memória to be a cultural landmark in the city of Lisbon, particularly in cinema. It was the Cinema Paraíso da Ajuda, with a cinema hall with a capacity of 510 seats.

Convent of Our Lady of the Good Hour: this is where the Military Hospital is located. The Convent of Our Lady of the Good Hour was inaugurated in Largo da Boa-Hora in 1758 and given to the Order of Discalced Augustinians until 1834, the year in which the Religious Orders were extinguished. The reference point for the Convent of Our Lady of the Good Hour is the Church, with reference to the main facade, the tile panels with scenes from the life of Saint Augustine by Bento Coelho de Oliveira and Botovi.

Chapel of Our Lady of the Cross: located on Rua do Cruzeiro, it is integrated into a plot of land that is currently owned by Lar de São José. The Chapel of Our Lady of the Cross was built in the 17th century to protect a cross of the sailor Gaspar Manso. The cross was made in homage to Our Lady of Help, patron saint of sailors, before a voyage on the high seas. Currently, the cross is on display at the Carmo Archaeological Museum in Largo do Carmo in Lisbon.

Fountain of Memory: located in Largo da Memória, it was designed by the architect Possidônio da Silva. The Memory Fountain was inaugurated on June 13, 1850, and is notable for the city’s coat of arms.

Other attractions to explore in the Ajuda neighborhood

Quinta do Seminário, a farm with house number 10, where the writer Alexandre Herculano lived. Alexandre Herculano (1810-1877) was librarian of Ajuda between 1839 and 1877 and the First President of the Belém Council in 1853.

Bonfim Courtyard, also known as Secretariat Courtyard because it served as the State Secretariat during the time of the Marquis of Pombal (1699-1782). From 1840 onwards, it was purchased by the Count of Bonfim and became known as Bonfim Courtyard.

Zé Pincel Courtyard: it is named after the Horta e Silva Factory, a “grease factory”. The figure “Zé Pincel” was a vendor of Belém pastries and raivas, a conventual sweet made by the nuns of Bom Sucesso.

Conde de Lippe Barracks, built in the 18th century, stands out for its two turrets and the coat of arms of King Dom José I (1714-1777)

Rio Seco Cave: a geomonument in Lisbon that was formerly a river. The Rio Seco Cave is dated to the Cretaceous period (145 million to 66.4 million years ago). It was a quarry that supplied materials for the construction of Lisbon for a long time.

Caramão da Ajuda Neighborhood

Alexandre Herculano’s House

Pedro Teixeira’s Couple

Ladies’ Garden

Fish Market

Carvalhas Courtyard

Ladies’ Courtyard

Rita Murteira Courtyard

Count of Lippe Barracks

Shipowner’s Farm

Montes Claros Restaurant

Main streets of the Ajuda neighborhood

Ajuda is composed of 56 streets, namely Calçada da Ajuda, Travessa da Memória, Calçada da Boa Hora and The Botanical Garden Street. The Ajuda Sidewalk is approximately one kilometer long, starting at Junqueira Street and ending at Jardim Botânico Street.
The Ajuda Sidewalk’s main points of interest are the house where Gago Coutinho, the explorer who made the First Crossing of the South Atlantic in 1922, was born, the Ajuda National Palace, and the Ajuda Tower.
The Memória Alley’s main highlights are the Church of Our Lady of Livramento and Saint Joseph, the Salão Portugal, a former cinema and current headquarters of the Brazilian Olympic Committee.
On the Boa Hora Sidewalk, the points of interest are the Boa Hora Fountain, the Boa Hora Church, and the Ajuda Cemetery. On the Botanical Garden Street, the highlight is the Botanical Garden, the oldest public garden in Portugal.

Curiosities of Ajuda

The Ajuda National Palace was called the Royal Tent because it was built of wood;
The Ajuda Botanical Garden is the oldest garden in Portugal;
The Ajuda neighborhood is a university student area in Lisbon due to the presence of three universities in Alto da Ajuda: the Faculty of Architecture of the Technical University of Lisbon, the Higher Institute of Social and Political Sciences (ISCSP), and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine;
Calçada da Ajuda was built after the earthquake of November 1, 1755;
The Ajuda March has participated in the Lisbon Popular Marches parade since 1934;
The National Photography Archive is located in the Physics Room in Ajuda.

Quick facts about the Ajuda neighborhood

Ajuda has approximately 16,000 inhabitants;
The physical area is 2.88 km2.

Educational Establishments

;; Ajuda University Campus, Lisbon

Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon;
ISCSP: Higher Institute of Social and Political Sciences;
Restart: Institute of Creativity, Arts and New Technologies.

Situation of the Ajuda neighborhood in Lisbon

The Ajuda neighborhood is administered by the Ajuda Parish Council, is located north of Belém, is a quiet and safe place, chosen by young people to live. The neighborhood’s main highlights include the Ajuda National Palace, Calçada da Ajuda, the Botanical Garden, the Alto da Ajuda University Campus, and the panoramic view of Lisbon’s riverside. The Ajuda neighborhood is located between the Belém district and the Monsanto mountain range, on one of the exits from the city of Lisbon. The Ajuda neighborhood is close to the Belém, Alcântara, Restelo, Campo de Ourique, and Prazeres neighborhoods.