Situated high up in gardens on a gently sloped hill, the Belem Palace is the official residence of Portugal's president since 1910. It was built in 1559 and altered in the 18th century by King João V.
In 1755 King Jose I was inside the palace where the Great Earthquake was felt only to a slight extent, and just like most buildings in this area, it wasn't severely damaged. It still retains its richly furnished halls, carvings, tiles, and numerous works of art that may be visited on Saturdays only.
The Presidency Museum is part of the palace and can be visited every day except Mondays. tells the story of the Portuguese Republic and its Presidents, with a permanent collection explaining the history of the nationals symbols (flag and anthem) and the role of the presidents through photographs. In one gallery are portraits of every Portuguese president and in another are the gifts each received from world leaders and other prominent figures.
In front of the palace is a square with well-tended gardens and a statue of Afonso de Albuquerque, the Viceroy of India, standing atop a 20m-high Neo-Manueline pedestal in the center.
References:The Clementinum is a historic complex of buildings in Prague. Until recently the complex hosted the National, University and Technical libraries, the City Library also being located nearby on Mariánské Náměstí. The Technical library and the Municipal library have moved to the Prague National Technical Library at Technická 6 since 2009. It is currently in use as the National Library of the Czech Republic.
Its history dates from the existence of a chapel dedicated to Saint Clement in the 11th century. A Dominican monastery was founded in the medieval period, which was transformed in 1556 to a Jesuit college. In 1622 the Jesuits transferred the library of Charles University to the Klementinum, and the college was merged with the University in 1654. The Jesuits remained until 1773, when the Klementinum was established as an observatory, library, and university by the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria.