Estaus Palace

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Estaus Palace, also called Paço dos Estaus, stood in Lisbon’s Rossio Square. Built around 1450, it was originally housing for foreign dignitaries visiting the city. In 1536, the Portuguese Inquisition began, and the palace became its seat, with a prison and court for people accused of heresy, witchcraft, or secretly practicing Judaism. Public executions often happened in nearby squares, and the first auto-da-fé took place in 1540. Notable prisoners included historian Damião de Góis, poet Bocage, and dramatist António José da Silva, who was executed in 1737. The palace was damaged by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake but was rebuilt, only to be destroyed by fire in 1836. The Inquisition itself was not abolished until 1821. In 1842, thanks to writer Almeida Garrett, the site was replaced by the Teatro Nacional D. Maria II, designed by Fortunato Lodi. The theatre now stands where Estaus Palace once did, and it features a statue of the playwright Gil Vicente on its façade, a nod to a writer who was once censored by the Inquisition.