Olissippo Lapa Palace

About

Right after the earthquake in 1755, the first Baron of Porto Covo, Jacinto Fernandes Bandeira, built his house in S. Domingos Street, starting the creation of the Lapa district. Lapa means Moorish rock, from the original name “Lapa das Mouras”. Approximately 115 years later, in 1870, the succeeding Viscount built for one of his sons a beautiful house in the Lapa District. Very disappointed that his son didn’t like it, the house was later sold to the Count of Valenças, who in 1877 decided to transform it into a Palace. Although he was the Count of Valenças, his real name was Luís Leite Pereira Jardim, born in Coimbra in 1844, studied law and became a great doctor. He published many articles and magazines related to it. He moved to Lisbon in 1877 where he became a senator helping to improve schools and managed to achieve all his projects. In 1887 he got the license to renovate the house and turns it the help of the best artists from that time. He built the tower in order to get a beautiful view of Lisbon and over the Tejo River.