Cat Travel Stories. Palacio nacional da pena sintra portugal high, colorful and a sea of tourists: is it worth going and why
Palacio Da Pena Palace is the full name of this beautiful building, a true decoration of Portugal, and the only castle of this magnitude in the country.
National - the most old palace era of European Romanticism. This wonderful place is located in the district of Sao Pedro de Penaferrema. The palace stands on a hilltop near the city of Sintra and on a clear day can be easily seen from Lisbon. Pena, a national monument, is one of the most important 19th century Romantic castles in the world. The Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal, is also used for official ceremonies by the President of the Portuguese Republic and other government officials. 
The history of the palace began in the Middle Ages, when a chapel dedicated to Lady Pena was built on a hilltop near Sintra. According to tradition, construction began after the vision of the Virgin Mary. In 1493, King John II, accompanied by his wife Leonor, made a pilgrimage to this place to fulfill his oath. His successor, King Manuel the First, was also very fond of this sanctuary and commissioned the construction of a monastery here. For centuries, Pena was a small, quiet place of retreat, where a maximum of 18 monks lived. 
In the 18th century the monastery was severely damaged by lightning. However, the biggest damage to the monastery was caused by the Lisbon earthquake of 1755, only ruins remained of the building. Nevertheless, the chapel survived, escaping with only minor damage. 
For many decades the ruins remained untouched, but in 1838 Ferdinand II decided to purchase old monastery, all surrounding lands, the neighboring Castle and several other properties in the area. King Ferdinand then intended to rebuild the remains of the monastery into a palace that would serve as a summer residence for the Portuguese royal family. 
The project to restore Pena Castle was led by Lieutenant General and mining engineer Ludwig von Eschwege. Eschwege, an amateur German architect, loved to travel and had an idea about building castles along the Rhine. Construction was carried out between 1842-1854. Needless to say, it was almost finished in 1847, but King Ferdinand and Queen Mary II intervened and made changes to the decoration and symbolism. Among the changes were vault arches, medieval and Islamic decorations. Ferdinand also designed an elegant decorative window for the main façade. 
After the death of Ferdinand, the palace passed into the possession of his second wife, Alice Hensler. She sold Pen to King Louis, who restored it for the royal family, after which the palace was often used by the family. In 1889, Pena was bought by the Portuguese state, and after the Republican Revolution of 1910 it was classified as a national monument and converted into a museum. The last queen of Portugal, Queen Amelia, held her last night in the palace before leaving the country in exile. 
Pena Palace quickly attracted visitors and became one of the most visited monuments in Portugal. Over time, the colors of the red and yellow façade faded, and for many years the palace looked completely grey. By the end of the 20th century, the palace was repainted and the original colors returned, alarming many Portuguese who didn't know that the palace was once so colorful. 
In 1995 pena castle and part of the Sintra city park have been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 
Special attention Worth a visit to Pena Park is a vast forested area around the Pena Palace, covering an area of 200 hectares. The park was created at the same time as the palace by King Ferdinand II. The exotic taste of Romanticism reigns here too, the king ordered to plant trees from different corners planets - North American Sequoia, Lawson Cypress, Magnolia, big variety ferns from Australia and New Zealand. The park is also famous for its system of tunnels and narrow paths, connecting the palace with many interesting places and exits from the park. Foam is included in the selection of the 10 most delicious
At the top of the hill above the city of Sintra rises a fantastic palace in medieval style- the former summer royal residence, built on the site of an abandoned monastery. Today Pena Palace has become national monument and cultural icon of Portugal, attracting thousands of tourists every year, as well as a world heritage UNESCO and one of the seven .
Myths and facts
The history of the palace began in the Middle Ages, when the chapel of Our Lady of Pena was built on the hill in the place where, according to legend, the appearance of the Virgin Mary took place. Later, a monastery was added to the temple, and for several centuries it was quiet place worship and meditation of a dozen monks.
A terrible earthquake in 1775 turned the monastery into ruins, only the chapel miraculously survived. The area was empty for almost a century, but even in such a dilapidated form, it amazed the young Prince Ferdinand, who visited the ruins in 1838. The prince purchased these lands, along with the neighboring castle of the Moors, in order to build summer palace for the royal family of Portugal.
The mining engineer from Baron Wilhelm Ludwig von Eschwege traveled extensively and designed the palace in a romantic style using architectural elements most different countries. An exotic mixture of styles abounds, including eclecticism, neo-gothic and neo-renaissance, as well as pseudo-medieval fragments. Prince Ferdinand and Queen Mary II, who were active in making design and symbolic suggestions, added vaulted arches, Islamic elements, and exquisitely rich windows on the main façade.
Construction was completed in 1854. But luxury palace briefly served as a royal residence. The last Queen of Portugal, Amelia, spent her farewell party here before leaving the country for good in 1910. After the Republican Revolution, Pena Palace was declared a national monument and opened as a museum.
What to see
The Pena Palace and its interior decoration have been preserved in the form in which they were left by Queen Amelia. The complex can be divided into four parts: the base and surrounding walls with two locks and a drawbridge; restored old monastery and clock tower; courtyard in front of the chapel with Moorish arches; palace area and a cylindrical bastion with cathedral-style interiors.
Many fragments have survived from the original buildings, such as the monastery dining room, sacristy and chapel. They were surrounded by a wide terrace, from where best view to view the architecture of the palace. An interesting sight is the clock tower (1843). Sundial they set in motion an automatic mechanism that fires a cannon shot daily at noon.
Another attraction: the image of a triton, symbolizing the allegory of the creation of the world.
The palace is surrounded by a huge forest area, spread over more than 200 hectares. The exotic taste of romanticism is noticeable in the design of the park. By order of Prince Ferdinand, a variety of plants were brought here from distant countries. Here, magnolias, ginkgo, and
Sintra attraction number three - Pena Palace - by far the most famous palace and park ensemble Portugal. With bright multi-colored walls, combining several incompatible architectural styles, the palace built by King Ferdinand II is probably the only such building in the whole world.
Before King Ferdinand II decided to build a royal residence here in the middle of the 19th century, a small monastery of Hieronymites was located on this site. As well as, this monastery was very small - only 18 monks lived within its walls. The monastery was badly damaged during an earthquake in 1755 and stood in ruins until 1838, when Ferdinand II, who had just entered the kingdom, became interested in these lands.
The king, fascinated by the views of the ancient monastery, bought all the lands in the district, including the one located nearby, destroyed by an earthquake. Ferdinand II decided to rebuild the remains of the monastery into a royal palace and make it the summer residence of the Portuguese monarchs, which was done - Pena belonged to the royal family until 1910, until the republican revolution took place in Portugal and the palace was nationalized.
The palace, built in the spirit of romanticism, is a whole bunch of architectural styles - here you can find neo-Gothic, Manueline, Neo-Renaissance, and even Islamic motifs.
All this hodgepodge leaves a double feeling - on the one hand, everything looks more or less connected, on the other hand - the abundance of absolutely incompatible elements, seasoned with incredibly bright colors, finally blows the brain.
Although, if each of these elements is considered separately, I would venture to say that they are masterpieces in their simplicity of lines.
Triton is a half-man, half-fish, an allegorical depiction of the creation of the world.
Crocodile - I don't know what he represents here. In general, if we talk about ancient times, then the crocodile has always been personified with chaos and destruction. Let us recall at least the same ancient Egyptian god Set - the god of rage and deadly sandstorms, who was sometimes depicted as a crocodile. Yes, and the story described by Korney Chukovsky about the absorption of the sun by a toothy beast also has its roots in deep antiquity ...
By the way, I read today interesting fact about crocodiles - their life is connected with the number "60". The female crocodile lays 60 eggs, the cubs hatch after 60 days, and the crocodile lives on average 60 years.
A small terrace, from here, when there is no haze, Lisbon is visible.
A little lower, in the distance, you can see the wall of the Moorish castle wriggling like a snake.
A little Moorish motives.
The chapel is part of the old Hieronymite monastery.
The terrace in front of the chapel offers views of the hills of Sintra. The Atlantic Ocean is visible in the distance.
Around the palace there is a huge park - it occupies more than 200 hectares.
The park has many winding paths and paths leading to various attractions. There is even a small system of ponds here, romantically called the “Valley of the Lakes”. In general, Ferdinand II built everything with a truly royal scale.
High rock near the palace.
At the top of the cliff stands a bronze warrior - the guard of the park.
At the top of the hill is a snow-white stone cross. For the first time, a cross was placed on this site in the 16th century by King Joao III.
Not much is left of Portugal - only four reports. I'll try my best to finish it next week.
Do you want to be in a fairy tale? Then arm yourself with comfortable shoes and get ready to see the palace, which seems to have come down from the pages of a children's book. Pena Palace is located on one of the high hills of Sintra. In clear weather, the outline of this fancy palace can be seen from Lisbon.
The history of Pena Palace or how it all began
The history of many monuments and buildings in Portugal can begin with the words, once there was a completely unremarkable chapel here. There really was a chapel, it was erected due to the fact that someone here dreamed of the Mother of God. Named a place Nossa Senhora da Pena.
In the 16th century, King Manuel I ordered the chapel to be rebuilt into the monastery of Our Lady of Pena, in honor of the birth of an heir who had high hopes for the unification of the three kingdoms. Iberian Peninsula- Portugal, Castile and Aragon. However, the global plans failed to materialize, the young prince died at the age of 6 years.
Partly built of wood, partly of stone, the monastery was the home of several monks. In the 18th century, lightning strikes the building. The fire destroys the wooden parts of the building. A few years later, an earthquake completely destroys the monastery.
Only the chapel and the alabaster-marble altar of the hand of Nocol Chantarin survived. Later, these picturesque ruins became part of the palace, the construction of which began in 1840.
Who started this architectural pun?
Sintra was the summer residence of the kings long before the 19th century. It all started with the fact that in 1147 Don Afonso Henriques, inspired by his victory over the Moors in Lisbon, decided to expel them from these lands.
The Moors surrendered without a fight. They hid their treasures somewhere in the depths of Mount Sintra, in the hope that they would return. But they never returned, and no one found the treasure. Since then, Sintra has become a favorite haunt of the Portuguese nobility. Luxury Village Sintra, if you will.
The German Roots of Pena Palace
In 1836, Fernando, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, married Mary II, widowed at 16. The drama is that the first husband of Mary II, Prince Augustus, was the cousin of Fernando. Just like in the cartoon about Carlson, who lives on the roof:
- Mom, listen!
- A?
- Here my brother will grow up - well, he will marry, well, he will die. And then what, will I have to marry his old wife?
- Why? Well, anyway? A?
- Well, I wear out his old these ... pajamas, skates, a bicycle, I wear everything else ...
“I promise you that I will deliver you from his old wife.
- This is good. But actually I would much more like to have a dog than a wife.
In 1837, after the birth of his first child, he inherits the title of his wife and becomes King Fernando II of Portugal. Due to this origin, the king consort preferred to stay away from the political arena and devoted himself to art. That is why the Portuguese called him "King-Artist".
The newly minted king-romantic did not like National Palace Sintra. He was attracted by the ruins of the monastery. Without thinking twice, he buys the monastery lands, the fortress of the Moors and several more plots on the mountain.
Summer construction royal residence was entrusted to the German mining engineer and architect Ludwig von Eschwege. Perhaps he drew inspiration from seeing the sketches and the castle under construction of the Bavarian king Ludwig II, a relative of Fernando II. Remember Sleeping Beauty Castle?
Fernando II made a huge amount of changes to the original draft. This tandem gave us a cocktail of architectural styles and artistic contrasts: oriental domes and minarets, Gothic turrets, elements of manueline and renaissance.
The bright colors of the walls of the palace, which we see today, did not even dream of Fernando. On old postcards, the building looks like 50 shades of grey.
Candy colors have appeared quite recently. And in 2015, Palacio Pena took first place in the list of 15 stunning castles in Europe according to the EBD portal.
Should I visit Pena Palace and Garden?
An unequivocal and affirmative YES! But it is absolutely not necessary to visit the halls of the palace.
The interiors there are quite boring, and a bit disappointing after such a flamboyant façade. But, this is a matter of taste and you decide. Although, over the past few years, some rooms have been renovated. We hope that in the future the palace will appear before tourists in all its former splendor.
Better spend time walking in the fresh eucalyptus air of Sintra, on the terraces and turrets of the palace. Take a closer look at the monster hanging over the archway, which meets all visitors at the entrance to the courtyard.
This mythical sculpture symbolizes the allegory of the creation of the world from four elements: fire, water, sky and earth. Half fish, half man, whose hair gradually turns into a vine.
There is something demonic in his gaze. I don’t know what about the allegory of the creation of the world, but it fills the visitors with horror.
The views from the terraces are incredible, here you can see the Moorish castle, and Sintra at a glance, and in clear weather you can see Lisbon.
You can relax from the architectural riot in a huge park covering an area of 240 hectares.
When fog envelops the mountain, the palace park turns into an enchanted forest. The exotic taste of the romantic king can be traced here as well.
The park contains plants from different parts of our planet: North American magnolias, Chinese ginkgoes, Japanese camellias and various ferns. Paths and barely noticeable paths are combined into a labyrinth that, like a web, permeates the entire park.
One of these paths leads straight to the statue of the bronze knight, which can be seen from the terrace of the palace. Who served as the model for the statue is unknown, although his face is a bit like our Artist King.
Not every tourist gets to the highest point of Sintra. Usually, many people prefer to go down the park. And those who dare to rise will be rewarded great view to the palace and proud that they climbed to the highest point of the ridge - 528 meters above sea level. It is easy to recognize this place, there is a cross on it. It is marked on the map, which can be taken by any visitor.
The park beckons just to walk and enjoy the views of ponds and swans gliding over them.
Why didn't the king see the palace?
Oh yes, a little more about our king, to whom we owe this example of the architecture of Portuguese romanticism.
In 1853, after the death of the queen, he loses his royal title. He did not grieve for the loss of Fernando II for a long time; he hides from evil tongues in his still unfinished summer residence together with his mistress, Swiss opera singer and actress, Countess Edla.
After 16 years in 1869, they legitimize their relationship. A pretty nice chalet is being built nearby. But that's a completely different story.
The dream of building an extravagant palace came true in 1885, a year after the death of Fernando II. He never saw his offspring in all its glory. After his death, all property, including the Pena Palace, went to the countess. This angered the public and forced the widow to sell the palace to the state.
Refuge of the last queen
From the terrace of the palace, the last queen of Portugal, Donna Amelia, watched the riots in Lisbon. There were still military units loyal to the Crown, but the ships that had gone over to the side of the Republicans had already taken up positions opposite Palace Square. The Republican Revolution of 1910 began.
The battles in the city were carried out with the use of artillery, and in clear weather everything was visible. What was dona Amelia thinking when she saw the cruiser Sao Rafael shoots at the buildings of ministries, one can only guess. It was in Pena Palace that the dowager queen spent her last night, after which she left Portugal forever with her son Manuel II.
After the declaration of the Republic, the palace became a museum. Today, the Pena Palace is one of the most visited attractions in Sintra, and is included in the list of the Seven Wonders of Portugal.
By the way, there is a cafe and a restaurant on the terrace of the castle, where you can eat or drink aromatic coffee before walking through the magical park.
We devoted several days to studying the most famous landmark of Portugal - the town of Sintra, surpassing even the capital in its beauty. I prepared myself ahead of time for the crowds of tourists, the lines, and the gigantic spending on admission tickets.
In the morning we went to the very, very place, to the Pena Palace.
On free parking near the palace managed to take the last free place. Bought tickets for €14. We go. For €3, you will be taken on a small bus to the entrance of the palace, and then driven around the park.
We found a wonderful tree with roses, I don’t know what it’s called, but it’s the size of an ordinary big tree.
Pena Palace
First of all, you overcome a winding road uphill. We walked at a leisurely pace with photo stops for 15 minutes.
We enter through the beautiful Arab gates, and there are so many people there!
Pena Palace (Palácio Nacional da Pena) and its famous park(Parque da Repa) are the architectural treasures of Sintra. A single composition, which includes a mountain and a castle, a park with belvederes and a labyrinth of paths, fountains and a chalet, is the brightest attraction of the city.
Before the earthquake that destroyed many buildings in Sintra, there was a monastery here. Since 1838, the construction of a castle in the spirit of chivalrous times began in its place, combining the features of neo-Gothic and neo-Manueline, neo-Moorish style and neo-Renaissance. The interiors of the palace are also decorated in an eclectic style. palace park Pena became an inimitable example of landscape romantic architecture.
We crawl up the towers and ladders. good places for photos. Then we go around the palace along the walls, look around.
On a neighboring hill, the Castle of the Moors is hidden in the greenery, we will go there in the afternoon.
Suddenly, a cloud swooped in and enveloped the towers of the palace. The feeling is indescribable.
In the arch of Triton, he noticed a mosaic of unusual tiles in the Neo-Manueline style. The knight kills something green.
We leave the arch, look up, and there a sea monster in corals and shells is waiting for us. He says he's glad to see you.
This is a miracle Yudo from a different angle.
I can not tear myself away from a large number of different tiles, the Portuguese love them, and so do I.
Consider the interior of the palace. I won’t show everything in a row, otherwise you won’t be interested, but I’ll show you some rooms. The rooms were a pleasant surprise. A lot of antique furniture and various items. In a dense stream of people it is difficult to have time to see everything, but it was interesting.
Arabic room with frescoes with 3D effect. Bedroom of Manuel II, the last monarch of Portugal, with candelabra on the ceiling. Covered patio type gallery. On the walls you can see old tiles from the former monastery.
In one of the rooms I found an old telephone with manual switching. Most likely it was used for internal communication.
The kitchen is stocked with brass pots and pans, scales, weights, spoons and ladles.
From all this beauty, I'm a little hung up.
Let's look again at the walls of the palace and at the crowd. In general, I liked the palace more than I didn’t like it, but it’s better to come to the very opening to take a walk alone.
The palace has an average restaurant with meager food.
Due to the fact that there is not a single restaurant in the area, we had to dine here. Chicken and potatoes cost €8.
Park at Pena Palace
Let's move on to the second part of the Pena complex, it seemed to me much more interesting and pleasant. big park hid behind the hills and ancient trees. We pass under the towers of the palace and dive into dense thickets. Issued at checkout detailed map all paths.
Pavilion with columns, built on the site of the former chapel of St. Anthony. If you bypass it. you can see the Pena Palace.
This view was not enough for me, I climbed the rocks to the statue of a medieval knight. It's not easy, but it turned out to be a great angle.
And the farthest high point parka - high cross, best Observation deck in the park. You can see all of Sintra and the surrounding area.
And now I will show the cross itself against the background of white aircraft plumes.
Another iconic attraction - the Countess Edla's Chalet (Chalet da Condessa D'Edla) is located at the western end of Pena Park. This beautiful building, designed in the Alpine spirit, Fernando II built as a residence for his wife Alice Hensler. The chalet burned down in 1999, but was completely restored in 2011.
Estimate, the entrance ticket to the house costs € 9.50 - this is already for true connoisseurs, and we will look outside. The decoration of railings and windows made of tree bark, possibly cork, catches the eye.
We finish our walk through the park in the "Valley of Lakes". These are small ponds with black swans and ducks.
We really liked Pena Park, it is unfairly deprived of tourists. If the palace was crowded, then there was almost no one in the park, because you paid for the park and the palace. Set aside 1-2 hours for a walk.
Castle of the Moors
We cross the road and go along the path to the Castle of the Moors. He immediately appears before us in all its glory.
About 20 minutes at a very leisurely pace, we reached the entrance gate. We paid €8 for the tickets. Total waste.
Moorish Castle (Castelo dos Mouros) - the citadel of medieval Sintra, a fortress on a mountain, built in the 9th-10th centuries. The stone walls are well preserved, the northern staircase leads up the ridge through picturesque forest. The castle has been abandoned since the 16th century. In the 19th century, Fernando II restored part of the fortress complex in the "romantic ruins" style.
From any of the towers there is a stunning view of the surroundings. And again, I can't get past the Foam Palace. We sat on a stone bench and ate pears.
Seen from another tower Royal Palace Sintra.
Other reports from a trip to Portugal
How was it?
What can be said about the Pena Palace and the Castle of the Moors? I'm pleasantly surprised. Despite a large number of tourists, walking here is pleasant and comfortable. Everything is organized very competently, everywhere there are signs with maps and routes.
I would not advise you to go around all the objects of Sintra in a day. On the first day, visit these two objects leisurely, enjoy the beauties, take a calm walk.
What to see on the second day, I will tell in the next report. For now, take a look at the .
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