Cortes Gerais

Not to be confused withPortuguese CortesorCortes Generales.

General Courts Cortes Gerais
Type
Type	Unicameral(1822–1826) Bicameral(1826–1910)
Houses	Chamber of Peers(1826–1838; 1842–1910) Chamber of Senators(1838–1842) Chamber of Deputies
History
Founded	1822
Disbanded	1910
Leadership
First President of theChamber of Peers	Nuno Caetano Álvares Pereira de Melo, 6thDuke of Cadaval
Last President of the Chamber of Peers	Gonçalo Pereira da Silva de Sousa e Menezes, 3rd Count of Bertiandos
First President of theChamber of Deputies	Father Francisco de São Luís Saraiva
Last President of the Chamber of Deputies	José Capelo Franco Frazão, 1st Count of Penha Garcia
Seats	90Peers of the Realm 148 Deputies of the Nation
Meeting place
Palace of the Cortesbefore 1895, seat of the Cortes Gerais,Lisbon

TheCortes Gerais(pre-1911 spelling:Cortes Geraes,meaningGeneral CourtsinPortuguese) were theparliamentof theKingdom of Portugalduring theConstitutional Monarchy period.

The Cortes were established by provision of thePortuguese Constitution of 1822as aunicameralparliament. However, theConstitutional Charter of 1826reformed the Cortes as abicamerallegislature, with theChamber of Most Worthy Peers of the Kingdomas itsupper houseand theChamber of Gentlemen Deputies of the Portuguese Nationas itslower house.During the brief period in which theConstitution of 1838was in force (1838-1842), the Chamber of Peers was abolished and replaced by theChamber of the Senatorsor Senate. With the restoration of the Constitutional Charter in 1842, the Chamber of Peers was also restored as the upper chamber of the Cortes.

The name of the legislature originates from the traditionalPortuguese Cortes,the assemblies of representatives of thethree estates,during the period ofabsolute monarchy.

Since 1834, the Cortes had their seat in thePalace of the CortesinLisbon.This building was originally aBenedictinemonastery and continues to be until today the seat of thePortuguese parliament,being presently referred as theSão Bento Palace.

Gallery

• 
  Uniform of a member of the Chamber of Peers (1860)
• 
  The Chamber of the Peers in session (1867)
• 
  Chamber of Deputies in the early 20th century
• 
  The Royal Guard of the Archers waiting King Manuel II for the opening of the 1908 session of the Cortes
• 
  Main entrance of the Palace of Cortes in the early 20th century