Episcopal Palace, Braga

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Archiepiscopal Palace of Braga, Paço Arquiepiscal de Braga, is Braga’s historic residence of the archbishops. Located in central Braga near the Cathedral and the Garden of Santa Bárbara, the palace is made of three main parts that reflect different periods: a medieval core, an eastern Gothic wing from the 14th–15th centuries, and a western Baroque wing from the 18th century, with other sections added between the 15th and 18th centuries. In the Largo do Paço you can see the Fonte dos Castelos fountain and a mix of old and newer buildings around the square.

Construction began in 1336 under Archbishop Gonçalo Pereira. Over the centuries the archbishops expanded and rebuilt the palace, adding a chapel and several wings. A major fire in 1866 destroyed the Baroque wing and its library. In 1911 the archbishops were expelled from the palace. The building then passed to the government and housed the Braga Museum of D. Diogo de Sousa from 1918. In the 1930s it was turned into Braga’s public library and district archive, opening in 1934. Later in the 20th century the library moved to the University of Minho, and the museum space was gradually vacated.

Today the Archiepiscopal Palace is a historic site that shows how Braga grew from medieval times to the Baroque era and later public use. The complex remains a notable landmark in Braga, with its gardens including the Garden of Santa Bárbara and the Fonte dos Castelos fountain in the square.