History
A hermitage dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Ajuda already existed in the 15th century, and the Parish of Ajuda began in 1587. Before 1755, part of this area consisted of fields, orchards and cultivated land. The earthquake profoundly changed Ajuda’s relationship with Lisbon and, decades later, work began on Igreja da Memória in 1760, commemorating the attack on King José I in 1758. Also known as Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Livramento e de São José, it received the remains of the Marquês de Pombal in 1923.
The present Palácio Nacional da Ajuda, a neoclassical building from the first half of the 19th century, became the Portuguese royal family’s official residence during the reign of Luís I and remained in continuous use until the end of the monarchy in 1910. Several rooms retain the layout and decoration established in the second half of the 19th century. Its administrative history also shifted: in 1852, the parish became part of the then municipality of Belém; when that municipality was abolished in 1885, it returned to Lisbon. Boundaries changed again with the creation of the parish of São Francisco Xavier in 1959. Between 1940 and 1945, Bairro do Caramão da Ajuda was built as a social housing neighbourhood with a traditional urban layout.