A new exhibition route at the Ajuda Palace reveals for the first time the behind-the-scenes of the Royal Table during the reign of King Luís and Queen Maria Pia
Opening to the public: 21 November 2025, at 10 a.m. - Ajuda National Palace
A new exhibition dedicated to the daily life of the Royal Table, an unprecedented journey into the domestic universe of the Portuguese court in the second half of the 19th century.
Contrary to the usual narrative focused on grand banquets and ceremonies, the new exhibition project unveils the workspaces where objects were stored, used and washed, and the people who discreetly sustained the daily life of the palace, which inevitably coexisted with etiquette and luxury.
Thus, for the first time, with the patronage of the Millennium bcp Foundation, the Palace opens to the public an evocation of long-lost or inaccessible service areas, such as the kitchens, pantry, storage rooms and larder, proposing a historical journey that connects the Dining Room, where the exquisite original furnishings have been reconstructed, to the Dishwashing Room.
Based on historical documentation, material evidence and interdisciplinary research, visitors are invited to follow an itinerary that reveals the logistics and food supply circuits of the Royal Household, the serving of meals and their presentation, as well as the role played by the head of the State Tables and a large group of servants, silver waiters and cooks.
"Daily Life at the Royal Table in the Ajuda Palace 1862–1910"
Opening to the public: 21 November 2025, at 10 a.m. - Ajuda National Palace
A new exhibition dedicated to the daily life of the Royal Table, an unprecedented journey into the domestic universe of the Portuguese court in the second half of the 19th century.
Contrary to the usual narrative focused on grand banquets and ceremonies, the new exhibition project unveils the workspaces where objects were stored, used and washed, and the people who discreetly sustained the daily life of the palace, which inevitably coexisted with etiquette and luxury.
Thus, for the first time, with the patronage of the Millennium bcp Foundation, the Palace opens to the public an evocation of long-lost or inaccessible service areas, such as the kitchens, pantry, storage rooms and larder, proposing a historical journey that connects the Dining Room, where the exquisite original furnishings have been reconstructed, to the Dishwashing Room.
Based on historical documentation, material evidence and interdisciplinary research, visitors are invited to follow an itinerary that reveals the logistics and food supply circuits of the Royal Household, the serving of meals and their presentation, as well as the role played by the head of the State Tables and a large group of servants, silver waiters and cooks.
"Daily Life at the Royal Table in the Ajuda Palace 1862–1910"
Dates
-
21 nov, 2025 - 21 nov, 2030
10h00 - 17h15
