It has a stunning fin-de-siècle façade but that’s about it. There is almost nothing left of the former home of Portuguese dictator António de Oliveira Salazar – but even so real estate agency Remax hopes to sell it for as much as €5.5 million.
As a spokesman explained, it is not so much the building that is for sale, but the potential of the premier site in Lisbon that could translate into 5.800 square metres of office space.
Located in Rua Bernardo Lima, the once elegant building, boasting a ground area of 1.410 square metres, is in the prestigious Marquês de Pombal district and has already attracted a lot of interest.
Remax is keeping mum over who the current owners are, saying simply that there are “various”.
Salazar lived at nº64 Rua Bernardo Lima for five years during the 30s. He took up residence when he was made president of the council of ministers and it was decided that he should have a house “that reflected the dignity of his position”.
That dignity was rocked by an “enormous explosion” in 1937 when Salazar escaped a bomb attempt on his life “by a whisker”.
Even though the attempt, orchestrated by the Popular Front, took place some way from the house, the dictator decided he needed a more secluded residence and moved to S. Bento Palace, next door to parliament, which remains the official residence of the prime minister to this day.
