The 18th century was a period of changing mindsets. Across Europe, conditions of hygiene and public health were being questioned as growing populations moved to cities, often living in conditions conducive to disease. In Lisbon, the earthquake provided an opportunity to reorganize the city and invest in more resilient architecture using wooden “cages” as true anti-seismic constructions. Buildings grew taller, and former palaces were converted into tenement housing—many of these floors featured communal kitchens where residents could prepare meals on stoves and ovens built into marble structures.

  Today, converted into luxurious rooms, our guests can share, in a sense, the daily experiences of past inhabitants. What stories, anecdotes, songs, cries, or laments have these walls witnessed over the centuries?