Vendas Novas can be explored through several clearly distinct themes: the royal history of the Palácio das Passagens, the development of artillery, a four-hectare public garden and a distinctive food culture. When planning your visit, it is useful to know that these themes appeal to different interests. You can focus on the chapel’s history and furnishings, the artillery museum, surviving features of former agricultural estates, or regional food and wine.
Palace history and chapel
The Palácio das Passagens was built in 1728 on the orders of King D. João V. It was intended to accommodate royal guests for two nights on each leg of their journey to and from Caia during the event known as the “Exchange of the Princesses.” The combination of the commission, the occasion for the journey and the length of the stay gives the palace’s purpose a vivid, concrete context.
The Capela Real do Palácio das Passagens served as the parish church of Vendas Novas from 1843 to 1969. King D. João V probably had it built in 1728 so that guests and the royal family could receive spiritual support during their stay at the palace. The site thus brings together the accommodation of royal guests and a religious function. The chapel has continuous blue-and-white azulejo tiling, about 1.80 metres high. Its panels can be dated to around 1750; a panel depicting Saint Barbara dates from 1972. The furnishings therefore combine an approximate date for the panels with a specific motif explicitly dated to a later year.
A different historical focus: artillery
The Museu da Escola Prática de Artilharia has an outdoor area and an indoor area with eight halls. Its exhibits trace the development of artillery from the end of the 19th century onwards. The museum therefore has a different historical focus from the palace and Capela Real: while the palace’s history begins in the 18th century, the museum focuses on artillery history from the late 19th century onwards. This contrast helps you see Vendas Novas’s cultural themes as more than a single chapter of history.
Garden and surviving landscape features
The Jardim PĂşblico de Vendas Novas covers four hectares. It preserves orchards, cork oaks, holm oaks and palm trees, as well as fountains, basins and irrigation channels from former agricultural estates. The garden is defined by more than its planting: its surviving features also include water installations and traces of agricultural use. There is also an open-air amphitheatre. If you are choosing between cultural and landscape themes, the garden offers a different focus from the palace, chapel and artillery museum.
Local food and wine
Bifana de Vendas Novas can be described by its specific preparation: a flattened pork loin steak is fried in reduced butter sauce and served in a roll that is toasted to varying degrees. It is accompanied by Granadas, a traditional sweet from Vendas Novas. It was created in 1972 at the initiative of Sr. Marques and is inspired by the town’s military tradition. Bifana and Granadas offer different ways to experience the local food culture; the sweet also connects with the town’s history.
Wine is another local feature: wine is produced and bottled at Herdade da Ajuda Nova in Vendas Novas. Wine tastings are available there, as are off-road excursions around the estate. Arrange these experiences before your trip.
Discover other destinations: Silveiras, Landeira.
Return to the main travel overview: Vendas Novas.
