Casa do Alentejo

In a side street between the Rossio and the Anjos, the Casa do Alentejo hides a palace of Moorish revival built in 1918 as the headquarters of the people of the Alentejo in Lisbon. Through the door, the patios of azulejo and horseshoe arches open a piece of the south inside the capital.

A palace of the diaspora

The regional houses of Lisbon were built by the communities of migrants who came to the capital from the provinces, and the Alentejo house is the grandest of them: a building of courtyards, fountains and tiled galleries, with a theatre, a library and a ballroom in the upper floors. The restaurant serves the kitchen of the region, from the bread soups to the pork of the montado.

Between two cities

The house stands on the edge of the Pombaline downtown, a short walk from the Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea do Chiado and the older quarters that run towards Alfama. Its patios are open to members and visitors, and the annual festivals of the regional houses fill the square outside. It is the closest the centre of Lisbon comes to the Alentejo without leaving it.

What to see

• The Moorish-revival patios of azulejo and fountains
• The ballroom and theatre of the upper floors
• The restaurant of the Alentejo kitchen
• The library of the regional community
• The walk between the Rossio and the eastern quarters

Practical information

The Casa do Alentejo stands near the Anjos and Intendente quarters, a short walk north-east of the Rossio in central Lisbon. The patios are open through the day; check the official websites before visiting for the restaurant and events.

Image credit: Casa do Alentejo by Enrico Strocchi from Forlì, Italy — CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.