On 2 April 1383, a marriage contract was signed in Salvaterra de Magos betrothing the ten year old
Beatrice of Portugal (1373–1420) to the widowed King
John I of Castile (1358–1390), which suggests that already in the
Middle Ages there was a royal palace in Salvaterra de Magos. However, documentary references about this 'old' palace are not abundant. In the start of the 16th century, King
John III of Portugal (1502–1557) awarded the estate of Salvaterra de Magos to his brother prince
Luís of Portugal, Duke of Beja (1506–1555), who constructs (or rebuilds) a new palace with sumptuous gardens. aided by the Portuguese architect Baltazar Álvares, who was also responsible for other royal palaces in
Almeirim and
Santarém. They often would come by
barge from the
Ribeira Palace in
Lisbon over the
Tagus river to Salvaterra de Magos (the barges used can now be visited in the
maritime museum of Lisbon). It is inaugurated on 21 January 1753 with the opera ‘Didone Abandota’. Also, Carlos Madel created a new falconry building. Falconry at Salvaterra de Magos had its heyday in 1750s with the arrival of a dozen Dutch falconers from
Valkenswaard, who were to instruct the local falconers with the art of Dutch falconry. The
1755 Lisbon earthquake seriously damaged the palace. However, reconstruction and renovation works started soon in the years following. A new
bullfighting arena was constructed next to the royal palace in 1775. At the end of the 18th century, the royal family staid less frequent at the palace. And with the
departure of the royal family to
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1807, due to the French invasion, the decay of the palace started. A fire caused serious damage to the palace in 1817, saving only the chapel, the opera house and the falconry. And another fire finally destroyed the palace in 1828. The estate is transferred from the royal domains to the Portuguese State in 1849. The last palace walls collapse during an earthquake in 1858. Much of the remaining buildings, such as the falconry, were sold at public auctions.
Bullfighting accident The earl of Arcos, son and heir of the 4th Marquis of Marialva was fighting a bull on horseback when the animal wounded his horse. The young man fell, was kicked by the bull and killed. The Marquis himself, then around 70 years of age, jumped from the royal cabin that he shared with the king, drew his sword and killed the animal. After this incident, King Joseph I ordered that the horns of the bulls are severed and covered in a way that they do not present sharp points. ==Modern times==