Park and National Palace of Pena
It is about 4.5 km from the historic center of Sintra and is the most complete and beautiful example of Portuguese Romantic architecture. Its building dates from 1839, when the king consort D. Fernando II of Saxe Coburg-Gotha, acquired the ruins of the Jerónimo Monastery of Our Lady of Pena to adapt them to a palace.
The work was directed by the Baron of Eschwege, who was inspired by the Bavarian palaces, to create a unique building that combines 'Wagnerian' influences from other castles in central Europe with Moorish features and Gothic and Manueline motifs. A true 'princess palace' at the top of the Sintra hills. Set in the top of the mountain and the fruit of D. Fernando II's creative genius, the Park and Pena Palace are the greatest exponent in Portugal of the century. XIX, constituting the most important pole of the Cultural Landscape of Sintra - World Heritage. Built from 1839 around the ruins of an ancient Jerónimo Monastery erected in the 16th century by D. Manuel I, the Palace incorporates architectural references of Manueline and Moorish influence that produce an astonishing “one thousand and one night” scenery. Around the Palace, the King planted, with species from all over the world, the Pena Park (85ha) which is the most important arboretum in Portugal. After visiting Pena, the composer Richard Strauss wrote: “Today is the happiest day of my life. It's the most beautiful thing I've seen. This is the true Klingsor Garden - and there, up on high, is the Holy Grail Castle. ”Today you can enjoy this rich natural heritage through free or guided walks in an unforgettable experience. For the construction of the Palace, the ruins of a 16th century convent at the top of the mountain, which was acquired by D. Fernando II, were used. This degraded property will have exerted in D. Fernando a huge fascination emanating from his Germanic education that presupposed the aesthetic appreciation of the ruins in accordance with the romantic imagination of the time. The initial project was only the rebuilding of the royal family's summer residence building, although enthusiasm led him to decide to build a palace. In the park, the expression of romantic aesthetics combines the search for exoticism with the fascination with nature's impetuosity. It was between winding paths that, at the initiative of D. Fernando II, the planting of this park began, which includes an unusual floristic cast, composed of native European forest species, associated with many others originating from distant regions, especially from America. North Asia and New Zealand. Along the paths and paths, the redwoods, the thuja, the beeches, the magnolias and the camellia follow, which stand out for their grandeur, monumentality and beauty. They are also points of reference, in the various possible routes through the park's trails, Cruz Alta, Alto de Sto. Antonio, the High of St. Catherine, the Monk's Cave, the Fountain of the Birds, the Feteira da Rainha, the Valley of the Lakes, the Abegoaria and Quinta da Pena, the Chalet and garden of the Countess D'Edla.
2 hours
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Admission Ticket Not Included