Estaús Palace

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Drawing of Rossio Square from a 16th century map. Estaús Palace is in the upper left corner of the square, in the middle of the image.

The Estaús Palace (Portuguese: palácio dos Estaús) in Rossio Square (now formally known as the Praça de D. Pedro IV) in Lisbon was the headquarters of the Portuguese Inquisition.

The palace was built on the north side of the square in around 1450, as a lodging for foreign dignataries and noblemen visiting Lisbon. The palace became the seat of the Inquisition after it was installed in Lisbon, and Rossio Square was frequently used as setting for public executions. The first auto-da-fé took place in 1540.

Teatro Nacional D. Maria II.

The palace survived the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake, but was destroyed by fire in 1836. Thanks to the efforts of writer Almeida Garrett, the palace was replaced in 1842 by the Teatro Nacional D. Maria II, to a Neoclassical design by Italian architect Fortunato Lodi. The theatre stands on the site today. A statue of the Renaissance Portuguese playwriter Gil Vicente is located over the pediment of the theatre. Ironically, some of Gil Vicente's plays had been censured by the Inquisition back in the 16th century.

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