The building was built in 1846 as a mansion for an aristocrat family. Thereafter, it was successively occupied by French priests and a British company, later being converted into a Maternity Hospital Unit. It was then bought by the Macao Government in 1926, and Governor Artur Tamagnini de Sousa Barbosa refurbished the building into the official residence of the Portuguese Governors in 1937.
Architectural characteristics:
Santa Sancha Palace is a two-storey building with a symmetrical front. It is painted red with white windows and is surrounded by a European style garden. From the wide balcony on the upper floor, there is an excellent view of Praia do Bom Parto Bay and Taipa Island.