Dictator Palace
This Portuguese palace is one of the most stunning abandoned sites I’ve had the pleasure of seeing. From the outside a rather nondescript building with a plaque that only reveals that the building was developed in 1928 by the national dictatorship. A successful professor of medicine once lived here. The Portuguese government acquired this building in the 1920s. The state made some minor changes in the 1930s, but after some time the building was abandoned and since then it has fallen into despair.
The rectangular central hall is four stories high. Ornate gold plaster and mouldings adorn the walls and ceiling. Four balconies overlook the hall, on the third floor. Two tall antique mirrors adorn the walls on the first floor, clouded by age and dust.
In the mid-2000s, a real estate company bought the dictatorship Palace. The company paid about 20 million euros for the site. They had plans to renovate the property and convert it into luxury accommodation. The plan was to turn the palace into apartments or a luxury hotel. The city approved the necessary demolition plans. It is unclear why this company never started demolition.
A year later another real estate group bought the site, about 6 years later this real estate group filed for bankruptcy. A US creditor bought their debt and real estate portfolio.
A group of activists squatted the building. The activists were outraged at the lack of action to preserve this historic building. They campaigned for renovation, but the new owners were not responsive. Instead of answering their calls, they called the police to evict them. Today, the beautiful palace is being renovated.
