Meetings at the National Palaces
At the Royal Quinta of Queluz with Michela Degortes: On the Trail of João José Aguiar's Statues
Discover the secrets of João José Aguiar’s works at the Palácio Nacional de Queluz. Join us for €3 and help reforest the cultural landscape.
On the Trail of the Statues
Works of art often arrive in museums after long and winding journeys. This is the case with the monument to Queen Maria I (c. 1796), now preserved at the National Palace of Queluz, the most magnificent portrait of the queen ever made. Its smaller versions—bronze models also belonging to the Queluz collections—likewise traveled a long path before reaching their home here.
In this session, we will explore these and other works by João José Aguiar (1769–1841), created by the sculptor in Rome, where he lived and studied for thirteen years before returning to Portugal. These sculptures reflect the historical period in which they were made and a decisive phase in the artist’s career. They also reveal the stories of his patrons and the artistic policies of the Portuguese court at the end of the 18th century.
Let us (re)discover the history of these sculptures, tracing their journey through time and space.
About the speaker
Michela Degortes is an architect (University of Florence) and holds a PhD in Art History (University of Lisbon). She is a researcher at the Institute of Art History of the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences at NOVA University Lisbon (IHA-NOVA FCSH/IN2PAST), participating in the Pre-Modern and Lisbon Studies research groups. Her research focuses on cultural exchanges generated by the circulation of people and objects, emphasizing the dynamics of patronage and collecting, with an interdisciplinary approach that connects art history, architectural history, and cultural diplomacy in the 18th and 19th centuries. She is the author of numerous essays and articles published in international journals and regularly participates in international conferences and seminars.
More information
- Location: National Palace of Queluz
- Date: April 30, 2026
- Time: 7:00 PM
- Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Audience: Youth and adults
- Meeting Point: Main entrance of the Palace
- Accessibility: Route not accessible
- Additional Information: The activity concludes with a cocktail for socializing and informal discussion of ideas and experiences, lasting 30–45 minutes. Participation in this event carries a symbolic fee of €3, directly contributing to the planting of trees that will reforest the cultural landscape.