Freixo Palace

Built in the mid-eighteenth century, the Palácio do Freixo, designed by Nasoni, is one of the most remarkable monuments of Portuguese civil baroque architecture. The building, which was completely renovated, with a design by the architect Fernando Távora, between the years 2000 and 2003, and which currently operates as a 'Pousada de Portugal' hotel, has a square floor plan, with four protruding towers at each corner covered by pyramid roofs. Inside there are frescoes and beautiful stucco ceilings, some with oriental touches that are well worth discovering. Inside the palace, there are many illusory paintings with allegorical subjects - largely painted by Nasoni himself. The garden was created imitating the Italian tradition, with sculptures and with a magnificent view over the Douro River. Its transformation into a hotel has preserved the façade not only of the palace but also of the old Fábrica de Moagens Harmonia building - where the rooms are located. Today this palace is full of furniture and decorative pieces, granted by the municipal museums of the city and it has been classified as a National Monument since 1910.