Fodor's Expert Review Palácio de Dom Manuel

At the entrance to the Jardim Municipal, only a part of this former royal palace remains. The existing wing was restored after a fire in 1916 and displays a row of paired, gracefully curved Manueline windows. On the building's south side there's a notable arcade of redbrick sawtooth arches. The palace has witnessed a number of historic events since its construction in the late 15th century. It was here, for instance, in 1497, that Vasco da Gama received his commission to command the fleet that would discover the sea route to India.