Palace of São João Novo

The Palace of São João Novo (Palácio de São João Novo) is a Baroque mansion in the historic centre of Porto, built in the late 18th century against the old city wall. It has stood closed for decades, yet it remains one of the city's more interesting examples of Portuguese palace architecture.

Where is the Palace of São João Novo?

The palace stands in Porto, northern Portugal, within the combined civil parish of Cedofeita, Santo Ildefonso, Sé, Miragaia, São Nicolau e Vitória. Its coordinates are roughly 41.1425° N, 8.6178° W. The building leans against the Fernandine Wall (Muralha Fernandina), the medieval fortification that once marked the extent of the old city.

Who designed it, and who lived here?

The residence was built in the Baroque style in the late 18th century as the home of a Porto civil servant. After its first owner died, some of the city's most illustrious families lived in it.

For years the design was credited to Nicolau Nasoni, the Italian architect who shaped Porto's Baroque look. That attribution dated from the 1960s. The discovery of the original construction contract showed, however, that the architect was António Pereira.

What was the building used for?

The palace changed function several times:

• during the Siege of Porto (the Liberal Wars) it served as a military hospital for the liberal troops,
• it housed the Commercial Typography of Porto (Tipografia Comercial Portuense),
• in 1945 the Junta da Província do Douro Litoral set up the Museum of Ethnography and History of Douro Litoral here; from 1945 to 1980 it occupied the palace's entrance hall.

Why is the palace closed?

A fire in 1984 damaged the building, and since 1992 it has been closed to visitors. It had already been classified as a Property of Public Interest (Imóvel de Interesse Público) in 1977. In 2023 the Porto city council and the Portuguese government were weighing its rehabilitation.

Frequently asked questions

Can you visit the Palace of São João Novo? No. The building has been closed since 1992. You can view it from the outside, near the Fernandine Wall.

Did Nasoni design the palace? No. Although it was believed so from the 1960s, the construction contract that came to light points to António Pereira.

What architectural style is it? Baroque, built in the 18th century.

Was there ever a museum inside? Yes. From 1945 the Museum of Ethnography and History was installed here, and until 1980 it used the entrance hall.

Why it is worth knowing

The palace brings together the story of Porto's leading families, a dispute over who designed it, and the fate of the city's heritage after a fire. If you are walking the old town along the medieval wall, stop at this façade and remember the military hospital, printing press and museum that once occupied it.