Just northwest of the Igreja de São João is the 17th-century facade of a much older palace and castle, as revealed by the two powerful square towers that bracket it. The Palácio Cadaval was given to Martim Afonso de Melo, the governor of ɱ¹´Ç°ù²¹, by Dom João I, and it also served from time to time as a royal residence. Today the rooms contain a collection of illuminated manuscripts, Arraiolos carpets and 18th-century paintings of Portuguese royals.
A section of the palace is still in use as the private quarters of the de Melo family.