The Pena Palace (Portugal) is considered to be one of the oldest buildings of European romanticism. It is located on top of a cliff, near the city of Sintra. Thanks to this location, the palace is perfectly visible even from Lisbon.
What is special about the castle?
This palace in Portugal is a unique monument that has been preserved since the Middle Ages. Today it is under the protection of UNESCO. Quite often, the president of the country receives guests in it. Pena Palace is a former royal residence (summer). Created in the spirit of eclecticism, it harmoniously combines neo-gothic, Moorish styles with some neo-renaissance elements.
There are different opinions about this building: someone considers it the height of bad taste, a set of elements that, according to architectural canons, cannot be combined, for someone this palace seems to be a unique fairy tale. However, everyone considers this building unique, having no analogues in the world. Today, everyone can see the palace - tours to Portugal are offered by almost all travel agencies in our country. And for those who are not going on a trip in the near future, we will tell in this article aboutone of the main attractions of Portugal.
History of the Palace
In ancient times, there was a Hieronymite monastery on the hill, which was built after the appearance of the Virgin Mary on this earth. The devastating earthquake of 1775 completely destroyed the monastery, only the chapel of Our Lady survived. In 1838, the young Prince Ferdinand arrived in these places. He liked the scenic area so much that he decided to buy land in the area and build a royal palace here.
To bring this idea to life, the German engineer-architect Baron von Eschwege was invited. Ferdinand II and his wife (Queen Mary II) took an active part in the implementation of the fantastic ideas of the project. The work lasted twelve years.
The castle was briefly the residence of the kings of Portugal. After Maria's death, Ferdinand married again, now to Alice Hensler (an opera singer). When he died, the Pena palace was inherited by his wife. King Louis decided to return the castle to the possession of the monarchs and bought it.
In 1910, after the Republican Revolution, Queen Amelia spent her last night at the residence before her exile. Since then, Pena Palace (Sintra) has been the property of the state.
Architecture
The National Palace of Pena is a magnificent example of 19th century Portuguese Romanticism and is a national monument. It should be noted that after the revolution, the building never changed its appearance. That is why all people who buy tours to Portugal today have a unique opportunity to see thisamazing building in its original form.
The complex is conventionally divided into four parts. The first is the base, which includes the surrounding walls and the drawbridge. The second is an ancient monastery, which was reconstructed along with the chapel. The third part is the courtyard in front of the chapel. The fourth is a cylindrical bastion. Its interior is made in the cathedral style. Here visitors can see fragments of the first buildings (the monastery canteen).
The best place to get acquainted with the overall picture of the architecture of the palace, no doubt, is the terrace. There are cannons and a sundial here. The cannon has an automatic device that activates the sundial. Every day at noon she shoots. The clock tower was completed in 1843. There is a restaurant and a cafe on the terrace, where tourists tired of walking can have a bite to eat and taste aromatic coffee. From here you have an amazing view of all the architecture that Pena Palace is famous for.
Many tourists are attracted by the image of a triton, which is a symbol of an allegory with the creation of the world. The palace is surrounded by more than 200 hectares of land covered with forests. Locals claim they are home to wild animals.
Park
No less beautiful is the park that surrounds such a structure as the Pena Palace (Portugal). When designing it, King Ferdinand II ordered tree seedlings from all over the world. This is how they appeared here: North American sequoia, ginkgo from China, magnolias,Japanese Cryptomeria and a huge number of ferns from New Zealand and Australia.
The park is distinguished by an interesting system of tunnels and narrow roads that connect all the exits from the park with the palace. One of them leads to the statue of a bronze knight, which is visible from the terrace of the palace. Who became the model for this work is unknown. When fog envelops the mountain, the palace park, as if by magic, turns into a fairy-tale forest. The refined taste of the king, who apparently was a romantic, appears.
The Palace today
Today, the amazing palace and park are the main attractions of Sintra. After the palace became a museum, tourists from all over the world flocked here. Today it is one of the most visited places in Portugal. Over time, the colors of the facade of the unique structure faded, and for a long time it was completely gray.
At the end of the 20th century, a serious restoration transformed the palace. The original facade colors were restored. Now the Pena Palace sparkles with bright colors, which delights visitors.
Tourist Tips
Those who want to see this attraction of Sintra are recommended to come here in the morning, because quite a lot of tourists usually gather here already at lunchtime. In addition, in the first hour of work, you can purchase tickets with a small discount. It is more advisable to purchase a full ticket, which includes a visit to both the palace and the museum. In this case, you will not miss anything interesting.
Familiarize yourself with the plan of the park, or better take a free brochure. The park is very large, and if you want to walk here on your own, you can get lost. We recommend taking the longer route to the palace to enjoy the beauty of the place. It will open before you gradually in all its glory. On the territory of the park, in addition to the palace, you can see other buildings, for example, the house of Countess Edla. To visit it, you must purchase a separate ticket. But do not rush to do this if you come with children. The path to it is not close, so it is better to reschedule its visit to another day.
Reviews of tourists
The Pena Palace does not leave anyone indifferent. A bright, unusual building located on a hill is impressive. Various architectural styles, intertwined together, surprise and delight. Some travelers find the interior of the palace somewhat boring, but outside it is magnificent. Many are impressed by visiting the terrace, which offers stunning views. Children are delighted with the cannon that fires every day. Tourists often rise here by noon, so as not to miss the volley. Visitors leave a lot of rave reviews after visiting a beautiful park with a huge number of unusual plants.
