Palácio da República Bracarense

The Palace of the Braga Republic is located in Largo do Paço, city of Braga, northern Portugal.

This palace gives its name to Largo do Paço square, in the heart of the historic center of the city of Braga, a few meters from Braga Cathedral.

The Palace of the Braga Republic was abolished in 1790 by the first queen of Portugal, D. Maria I, nicknamed "the Pious" and "the Mad".

The palace was built in masonry and has two floors and is made up of three wings, the left side with arcades, and the facade is linear and there are several entrances decorated with shields.

On the ground floor of this building there is a huge hall called the Medieval Hall and has a large space formed by large granite walls and a wooden ceiling painted with plant elements and exposed beams.

Attached to this Hall, it is possible to access the Jardim do Paço and Jardim de Santa Bárbara where architectural elements rich in history are visible, such as: coats of arms with the different archbishops and four wide Gothic arches that were part of the initial construction of the medieval hall.

From the main atrium of the Largo do Paço building it is possible to access the Noble Hall via an imposing staircase with walls covered in 17th century tiles.

This Hall is decorated with patterned and figurative tile panels and a wooden ceiling painted with plant motifs, and this was formerly the Archbishops' room.

It currently consists of three large bodies: a medieval one, to the north, facing Jardim Santa Bárbara; a modern one, to the south, dating from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, with a facade onto Largo do Paço and Rua do Souto; another Baroque, to the west, also known as Paço de D. José de Bragança, facing Praça do Município.

The Rectory of the University of Minho is located in this architectural complex, as well as other central bodies and services of the University and two Cultural Units: the District Archive and the Braga Public Library.

Currently in this space is the Braga Public Library, which was founded in 1841, and integrated into the University of Minho from 1975.

The Library has a valuable bibliographic heritage such as: 53 incunabula, 400 works from the 19th century. XVI, private bookstores and estates of notable figures from local life.

It currently has more than 400,000 volumes such as monographs and 27,000 titles of periodical publications.

On the ground floor of this building there is a huge hall, that is, this space, due to the excellent acoustic conditions, is used as an event room, but also for solemn, festive and cultural events at the University of Minho.

Attached to this Hall it is possible to access the Jardim do Paço and Jardim de Santa Bárbara.

From the main atrium of the Largo do Paço building it is possible to access, through an imposing staircase with walls covered in tiles, a huge room where the Academic Aggregation Tests are held and the portraits of all the Rectors of the University of Minho are on display.

From one of the large doors on the main façade, and allowing access to the Medieval Hall and the Paço garden facing the Jardim de Santa Bárbara, there is a space called the Largo do Paço Gallery.

This space is used for exhibitions, and also a place to welcome and receive participants in any event taking place in the Medieval Hall.

This building also includes an interior landscaped courtyard, closed by residential buildings, with a central fountain.

This interior garden provides a peaceful environment and an intimate setting perfect for holding outdoor events, and can also be used for setting up tents and other outdoor equipment.

This monument has been classified as a property of public interest since 1967.