Portuguese architect. He studied under the architects Joao Frederico Ludovice (1670-1752) and Jean Baptiste Robillon (died 1782) during the construction of the royal palace at Mafra - Portugal's attempt to rival the Spanish king's palace at Escorial. He adopted Ludovice's grand manner, and then evolved a much more exquisite style, of which the Palácio Nacional, Queluz, near Lisbon (1747-52), is a good example, with its swagged and garlanded window-heads. It was completed by Robillon who also designed the gardens. In 1779 he began work on the Basílica da Estrela in Lisbon, this church was incomplete at the time of de Oliveira's death and work continued under the direction of Reinaldo Manuel dos Santos, who was responsible for much of the classical details of the church's exterior, but the blueprint of the church is credited to de Oliveira. //