All About Royal Families

The Igreja de São Roque or in English the Church of Saint Roch is an amazing beautiful church in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. It was the earliest Jesuit Church in Portugal, for more than 200 years, before the Jesuits were expelled. The church is famous for its 18th. century Chapel of St. John the Baptist, at that time it was the most expensive chapel in Europe. With such an expensive chapel, it must be clear that the Church of Saint Roch really has a fantastic royal history. Royal History When Lisbon was being ravaged by the plague, which had arrived by ship from Italy, in 1505, the King and his court were forced to flee the Portuguese capital for a while. The site of São Roque, which was then outside the city walls, became a cemetery for plague victims. At the same time the King of Portugal, Manuel I (reigned from 1495-1521), sent someone to Venice for a relic of St. Roch, the patron of the plague Victims. The relic was sent by the Venetian governmen...

The Hotel Avenida Palace, in the heart of the center of Lisbon (near the Rossio Railway Station on this link ) not only has a great location but also a beautiful history. Some history The Avenida Palace Hotel was founded at the end of the 19th. century. It opened the doors in 1892. Then Carlos I was King of Portugal. The same year on 14 June 1892 the country was declared bankrupt. More about Carlos I of Portugal on this link .  During the Belle Époque the hotel was one of the best in Europe for its style, location and standard of service. When the Republic of Portugal was established, during the Spanish civil war and during the two World Wars, the Avenida Palace Hotel was an active stage for political intrigue and espionage. Traveling Nowadays (8 October 2019) The Avenida Palace Hotel in Lisbon, Portugal  still has great reviews on TripAdvisor. It is number 6th of the 281 Hotels in Lisbon. Most of the comments really are very good. My pictu...

28 September 1863 marks the birth of Carlos of Portugal. This royal event took place at the Ajunda National Palace in Lisbon. Family Carlos was the son of King Luis I of Portugal and Queen Maria Pia. His paternal grandparents were King Ferdinand II of Portugal (born Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) and Queen Maria II of Portugal. His maternal grandparents were King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy and Adelaide of Austria. Carlos was thus a member of the noble house of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Youth In 1883, Carlos traveled to the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy on his Grand Tour. In 1883, 1886 and 1888 he ruled as regent over Portugal, when his father was abroad. Love and Marriage A son of a King, Carlos was a good match on the royal wedding market. His first bridal candidate was one of the daughters of German Emperor Frederick III and his wife Victoria, Princess Royal (a daughter of Queen Victoria). The pressure of British diplomacy prevent...

Lisbon is a fantastic city with lots of beautiful, old buildings, a nice atmosphere, a great cultural heritage and of course very good food and drinks. However one of the most amazing and relaxing green places in the capital of Portugal is the Edward VII Park (in Portuguese Edwardo VII). It also offers a wonderful view over Lisbon. But it also has a great royal history. Edward VII Park in Lisbon Portugal Royal History The Edward VII Park was named after King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. King Edward VII was the son of Queen Victoria and he ruled from 1901 till 1910 over the United Kingdom. The King visited Lisbon and Portugal in 1902 to strengthen the relations between Portugal and the United Kingdom. Until his visit, the Park had the name 'Liberty Park'. Although Liberty Park was a beautiful name,  I prefer the new royal name :-) Edward VII Park in Lisbon Portugal Location The Edward VII Park is located between the Avenida de L...

Portugal really is an amazing country, not only due to its people, nature, food, culture and history but also due to its railway stations. Traveling from Lisbon to Sintra, my husband and I had to use the Rossio Railway station. We were amazed by its beauty and I wanted to know more about its royal history. Rossio Station Lisbon Portugal Some royal history The Rossio Railway Station was ordered by the Portuguese Royal Railway Company and it was designed between 1886 and 1887 by the Portuguese architect José Louis Monteiro.  It was built in one of the most important squares of Lisbon, the Rossio. The Rossio was built during the reign of King Louis I of Portugal (reigned from 1861-1889 over Portugal).  King Louis I of Portugal was the son of Maria II and Ferdinand II. He became King after the death of his brother Pedro V.  King Louis I of Portugal Source picture: Wikipedia In 1918, Sidónio Pais, the fourth President of Portugal, was assas...

At the invitation of the President of the Republic of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, their majesties King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians will bring a State Visit to Portugal from 22 October 2018 till 24 October 2018. The majesties will be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium: Didier Reynders and the Presidents of the communities and the regions. The Belgian delegation will visit Lisbon and Porto. As I Like Portugal and especially Lisbon very much, I want to make a special blog post about the top 6 royal destinations in the Portuguese capital.  1/ Jéronimos Monastery in Lisbon, Portugal Jéronimos Monastery in Lisbon, Portugal This site is located in Belèm. Most of the state visits in Portugal will start at this magnificent location. More information see this link . 2/ Belém Tower in Lisbon Belém Tower The distance between the Jéronimos Monastery and the Belém Tower in Lisbon is not far at all. I'm sure that th...

Sé Cathedral inside  A real stunning Royal Destination in Lisbon, Capital of Portugal is the Santa Maria Maior de Lisboa or Sé de Lisboa. This long name mostly is abbreviated to Sé. Sé Cathedral in Lisbon, Portugal, own picture taken in 2017 Some Royal History The construction of the cathedral started in the year 1147. It has been classified as a National Monument since 1910. Lisbon was the seat of the bishopric since the 4th century AD. After a period the city was conquered by the Moors and it stayed under Arab control from the 8th till the 12th century, although Christians were allowed to live in Lisbon and its surroundings. Sé Cathedral amazing ceiling in Lisbon, Portugal, own picture In 1147, Lisbon was reconquered by an army composed of Portuguese soldiers led by King Afonso Henriques (Afonso I of Portugal) and North European crusaders taking part in the Second Crusade. King Afonso Henriques - Source picture: Wikipedia An English ...

One of the most amazing monuments in Lisbon, Portugal is the National Pantheon or the Church of Santa Engrácia. National Pantheon - Lisbon - Portugal Some Royal History The original church was sponsored by Infanta Maria of Portugal, Duchess of Viseu. She was the daughter of King Manuel I of Portugal. Maria of Portugal, Duchess of Viseu Source: picture In 1681 the construction of the current church began after previous structures collapsed. Small National Panteon - Lisbon - Portugal The design was made by João Antunes, the royal architect and one of the most important baroque architects of Portugal. Dome of the National Pantheon in Lisbon - Portugal In 1916, during the First Portuguese Republic, the Church of Santa Engrácia was converted into a National Pantheon. It was compleded in 1966. There are a few important monuments for famous Portuguese people: buried: - Amália Rodrigues (fado singer); - Eusébio (football player) cenotaphs: - P...

One of the most important UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Belém area of Lisbon, capital of Portugal, is the Jerónimos Monastery. Jerónimos Monastery in Belém Lisbon Portugal It was built in the amazing beautiful Portuguese Late Gothic Manueline style of architecture. Some royal history On 6 January 1501 the construction of the monastery and the church started, 100 years later it was completed. King Manuel originally funded the project with moneys of the commerce from Africa and the Orient. Jerónimos Monastery in Belém, Lisbon, Portugal It was King Manuel himself who selected the religious order of the Hieronymite monks to occupy the monastery, whose role it was to pray for the King's eternal soul and to provide spiritual assistance to navigators and sailors who departed from the port of Restelo to discover the world. On 16 July 1604, Philip of Spain (he ruled of Portugal after the Iberian Union) made the monastery a royal funerary monument. He ...

A real UNESCO World Heritage Site in Lisbon is certainly the Belém Tower in the civil parish of Santa Maria de Belém. Belèm Tower in Lisbon - Portugal - own picture from 2017 Besides that the Belèm Tower played a huge role in the Portuguese Martime discoveries of the era of the Age of Discoveries. Some (Royal) History At the end of the 15th.century King John II wanted a defense system for the mouth of the Tagus, then it depended on the fortresses of Cascas and Torre Velha in Caparica on the south side of the river. These didn't completely protect the river Tagus. Therefore King John II ordered a strong fortress, but he died before the plans were drawn. Belèm Tower - Lisbon - Portugal - own picture from 2017 King Manuel I of Portugal reviewed the plans 20 years later and he ordered the construction of a military fortification on the northern part of the Tagus at Belém. The Tower was designed by military architect Francisco de Arruda, and in 1516 t...

São Jorge Castle - Lisbon - Portugal São Jorge Castle - Lisbon - Portugal On one of my recent trips, I visited the São Jorge Castle in, Lisbon, Portugal. This Moorish Castle on top of the hill is an important tourist site of the Portuguese capital. Entrance tickets of the São Jorge Castle The main entrance is a 19th. century gate surmounted with the coat-of-arms of Queen Maria II of Portugal and 1896. Main Entrance São Jorge Castle - Lisbon - Portugal However the other entrances are also very beautiful entrance and stairs of São Jorge - Lisbon Royal History of the São Jorge Castle in Portugal In 1147 the castle and the city of Lisbon were freed from Moorish rule by Alfonso Henriques. When Lisbon became the capital in 1255 the castle served as the alcáçova, a fortified residence for King Alfonso III. São Jorge Castle Portugal - Flags  It was highly renovated around 1300 by King Denis I. Then it was transformed from a Moorish C...