Palácio de São Bento

São Bento Palace
The main façade of the building
General information
Architectural style	Neoclassical
Location	Lapa Lisbon, Portugal
Coordinates	38°42′45″N 9°9′13″W / 38.71250°N 9.15361°W / 38.71250; -9.15361
Construction started	1598
Completed	1938
Design and construction
Architect	Adolfo Marques da Silva, Cristino da Silva

The Palácio de São Bento (Palace of Saint Benedict in English) is the home of the Assembly of the Republic, the Portuguese parliament. It is located in Lisbon. Close to Bairro Alto, the Palace of São Bento has historically been the seat of the former Portuguese parliaments, such the National Assembly (Assembleia Nacional) during the Estado Novo regime, the Congress of the Republic during the First Republic, and the Cortes during the Constitutional Monarchy. Nearby is the official residence of Portugal’s Prime Minister.

The Palace has its origin in the first Benedictine monastery of Lisbon, established in 1598. In 1615, the monks settled in the area of the Casa da Saúde (Health House), that housed people sick with the plague. The new monastery was built during the 17th century following a Mannerist project by Jesuit architect Baltazar Álvares, later followed by João Turriano. The large building, of rectangular shape, had a church flanked by two towers, four cloisters, dormitories, kitchen, etc. When the construction works of the new building were almost finished, the destructive 1755 Lisbon earthquake damaged it.

After the Liberal Revolution (1820) and the suppression of religious orders in Portugal (1834), the monks were expelled from the monastery and the Portuguese Parliament was installed in the building, then called Palácio das Cortes or Parlamento. From then on, the old monastery was systematically adapted to its new functions. The first architect in charge was Possidónio da Silva, who designed the first session rooms.

The Chapter house (meeting place of the monks) of the monastery was totally remodelled by French architect Jean François Colson into a session room in 1867. The Portuguese Chamber of Peers met here until 1910, followed by the Senate and later the Corporative Chamber in this room, until the 1976 Constitution established unicameralism.