Gaspar Gonçalves ordered the construction of a small Renaissance palace, which also contains elements of the Manueline style prevalent in Portugal at that time.

On its completion, King John III appointed Gonçalves as Lord of Ribafria and awarded him an official coat of arms.

The rest of the building is made up of two parts, but the façade is symmetrical and contains Mudéjar battlements inspired by the Mosque of Cordoba in Spain and also used in the Church of Nossa Senhora da Anunciação in Mértola, Portugal, which is a converted mosque.

The interior has wooden coffered ceilings, which are painted with hunting scenes, as well as floral and marine motifs.

During this time work was undertaken to improve the garden and add office space in the garden, with the work being supervised by two well-known Portuguese architects, Francisco Caldeira Cabral and Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles.