The Ajuda National Palace is a splendid neoclassical jewel of Lisbon, located in the Belém district, in the close vicinity of sights like the Jerónimos Monastery and the Belém Tower. The winding history of the construction works at this palace was determined by the political overturns, by the pecuniary difficulties and by the long period of time in which they were carried out.

The contribution of sundry architects (Manuel Caetano de Sousa, Jose da Costa e Silva and Francisco Xavier Fabri) commissioned for this task left its print on the overall architectural merits of the building, pegged out by sundry influences (chiefly, Baroque and Rococo).