Sintra, Palácio da Pena, Palácio Nacional de Sintra, Cascais
Palácio da PenaAfter last's night's Fado show, morning comes too early but we have a 8 AM lobby call so we can get to the Palácio da Pena before the crowds. It should only take 1/2 hour or so but it is rush hour traffic time so the traveling will be slow.
We make it to Sintra. Sintra is one of the most urbanized and densely populated municipalities of Portugal. A major tourist destination famed for its picturesqueness, the municipality has several historic palaces, castles, scenic beaches, parks and gardens.
On our way up the hill to Palácio da Pena we pass the Palace of Sintra.
Once off the bus we look up and...WOW.
It is a national monument and constitutes one of the major expressions of 19th-century Romanticism in the world.
The palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal. It is also used for state occasions by the President of the Portuguese Republic and other government officials.
In 1836, Queen Maria II married Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a prince in this noble household and nephew of the ruling Duke of Coburg, Ernest I and King Leopold I of Belgium. According to the nuptial contract, Ferdinand was bestowed with the status of King-consort.
Ferdinand II was one of the most cultured men of 19th century Portugal. A polyglot, he spoke German, Hungarian, French, English, Spanish, Italian and, of course, Portuguese. In his childhood, the then Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha received a thorough education in which the arts, especially music and drawing, played fundamental roles. During his entire life, he maintained a deep connection with the arts whether as an artist, collector or sponsor and becoming known nationally as the King-Artist.
Shortly after his arrival in Portugal, he fell for Sintra and acquired, from his own personal fortune, the Monastery of Saint Jerome, then in ruins, as well as all the lands surrounding the property.
The original project was simply to restore the building as the summer residence for the royal family but the King-Artist's enthusiasm led him to opt for the construction of a palace and extending the pre-existing construction under the supervision of Baron Wilhelm Ludwig von Eschwege, a mineralogist and mine engineer who was then residing in Portugal.
In 1836, Queen Maria II married Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a prince in this noble household and nephew of the ruling Duke of Coburg, Ernest I and King Leopold I of Belgium. According to the nuptial contract, Ferdinand was bestowed with the status of King-consort.
Ferdinand II was one of the most cultured men of 19th century Portugal. A polyglot, he spoke German, Hungarian, French, English, Spanish, Italian and, of course, Portuguese. In his childhood, the then Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha received a thorough education in which the arts, especially music and drawing, played fundamental roles. During his entire life, he maintained a deep connection with the arts whether as an artist, collector or sponsor and becoming known nationally as the King-Artist.
Shortly after his arrival in Portugal, he fell for Sintra and acquired, from his own personal fortune, the Monastery of Saint Jerome, then in ruins, as well as all the lands surrounding the property.
The building is circled by other architectural structures that appeal to the medieval imaginary, such as the parapet paths, the lookout towers, an access tunnel and even its own drawbridge.
And the Great Hall was quite beautiful.
The Palace of Pena Chapel resulted from the adaptation of the former Monastery Church of Our Lady of Pena. Up until the abolition of religious orders, this church was open to the faithful (who would arrive at the Pena monastery along the Pilgrims Way), even while not holding any role as a parish church.
A particular highlight is the stained glass window installed by Ferdinand II in the wall opposite the main altar, which dates to 1840, shortly after the Palace began construction, which was produced by the famous stained glass workshop in Nuremberg belonging to the Kellner family. The glass reveals artistic intentions but also the political legitimacy underlying the construction of the Palace.
The main altar retabled from the former church, in alabaster and limestone from the Sintra region, was worked on between 1529 and 1532, by the sculptor of French origin, Nicolas de Chanterenne, and resulted from a commission from João III, son of Manuel I, the founder of the convent.
Sintra's National Palace kitchen's gigantic 108 ft (33m)-high conical chimneys, added in the 1300s, are Sintra icons, while much of the interior and the windows on the façade date from a later period, the early 1500s, when King Manuel I decided to beautify the building.
Our tour included a visit to the interior of the palace. Many people opt to not check out the interior because it can be very crowded and slow going. It wasn't too bad on the day we visited.
You can check out this website and decide for yourself if a visit inside is warranted. https://www.penapalace-tickets.com/pena-palace-inside
We did have some fun taking photos in The Courtyard of the Arches.
The Palace of Pena Chapel resulted from the adaptation of the former Monastery Church of Our Lady of Pena. Up until the abolition of religious orders, this church was open to the faithful (who would arrive at the Pena monastery along the Pilgrims Way), even while not holding any role as a parish church.
After our time has ended at the palace we head back down into Sintra for a coffee break and some quick exploring.
Jay and I head up the hill to the National Palace of Sintra.
We don't go inside because time is short so we beat feet around the building and are treated to some spectacular views of the town hall.
When a small chapel was demolished in the center of Sintra, local authorities thought it was the perfect spot to erect a new town hall.
The Palacete Seixas
Tonight is our Farewell Dinner as some of our group will be returning home tomorrow. The rest of us will be flying to the Azores and the island of São Miguel for a couple of days of sightseeing.
Keeping the tradition of fairytale architecture, the extravagant building was completed in 1906, in a style inspired by Portugal’s Manueline (late-Gothic).
It features a clock tower topped by a tile-covered spire flanked by four smaller ones, and windows reminiscent of those of the Sintra National Palace.
and Biester Palace
Since the 1870s, Cascais has been a popular seaside resort after King Luís I of Portugal and the Portuguese royal family made the seaside town their residence every September, thus also attracting members of the Portuguese nobility, who established a summer community there. Cascais is known for the many members of royalty who have lived there, including King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, when he was the Duke of Windsor, King Juan Carlos I of Spain, and King Umberto II of Italy. Former Cuban president Fulgencio Batista was also once a resident of the municipality.
We follow the National Palace exterior around to the gardens and head up some stairs that end abruptly but the view is awesome.
We can see Quinta da Regaleira (without the construction cranes around it!)
Times up and we rush back down the hill to meet our group. We're heading to Casias for lunch.
The Palacete Seixas
Originally commissioned by a wealthy Lisbon merchant, this iconic structure was completed in 1873. With its exquisite blend of neo-Gothic and Manueline architectural styles, the mansion is a visual feast for history enthusiasts.
The Palacete Seixas also played a significant role during World War II. As neutral Portugal became a hub for espionage, stories emerged of the mansion hosting undercover agents. It was within these walls that crucial intelligence was exchanged, potentially altering the course of history.
As we leave town we can see the Casino Estoril the inspiration for Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel, Casino Royale.
Legend has it that the mansion was once the backdrop for clandestine meetings between European aristocrats and local nobility.
The Palacete Seixas also played a significant role during World War II. As neutral Portugal became a hub for espionage, stories emerged of the mansion hosting undercover agents. It was within these walls that crucial intelligence was exchanged, potentially altering the course of history.
For lunch we hit the Luzmar, we've heard they have the best monkfish and prawns and rice-it was delicious but it was the MOST expensive meal we had on our entire trip!!
We slowly make our way to our meeting point and find Mary riding the carousel. We all walk to the bus to head back to Lisbon.
More photos: CLICK HERE
Tonight is our Farewell Dinner as some of our group will be returning home tomorrow. The rest of us will be flying to the Azores and the island of São Miguel for a couple of days of sightseeing.
Travel on my Friends!