Pena Palace (Portugal) is rightfully considered one of the oldest structures of European romanticism. It is located on a cliff near the town of Sintra. Due to this arrangement, the palace is perfectly visible even from Lisbon.
Why is the castle noteworthy?
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, he harmoniously combined the neo-Gothic, Moorish styles with some elements of the Neo-Renaissance.
There are different opinions about this building: someone considers it the top of bad taste, a set of elements that according to architectural canons cannot be combined, for some this palace seems to be a unique fairy tale. However, everyone considers this building unique, unparalleled in the world. Today everyone can see the palace - tours to Portugal offer almost all the travel agencies of our country. And for those who are not going to travel soon, we will tell in this article about one of the main attractions of Portugal.
Palace History
In ancient times, on the hill was a monastery of Jeronimites, which was built after the appearance of the Virgin Mary on this earth. The destructive 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 acquire land in the area and build a royal palace here.
To bring this idea to life, they invited the German engineer-architect Baron von Eschwege. Ferdinand II and his wife (Queen Maria II) took an active part in the implementation of the fantastic ideas of the project. The work lasted twelve years.
The castle was not long the residence of the kings of Portugal. After the death of Maria Ferdinand married again, now Alice Hensler (opera singer). When he died, Pena's 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, the Queen of the country Amelia spent the last night before her exile in the residence. Since then, the Pena Palace (Sintra) has been the property of the state.
Architecture
Pena National Palace is a magnificent example of Portuguese romanticism of the XIX century, which is a national monument. It should be noted that after the revolution, the building never changed its appearance. That is why all people who purchase tours to Portugal today have a unique opportunity to see this amazing building in its original form.
The complex is conditionally divided into four parts. The first is the foundation, including the surrounding walls and drawbridge. The second is an ancient monastery, which was reconstructed with a chapel. The third part is the courtyard in front of the chapel. The fourth is a bastion of cylindrical shape. Its interior is made in a cathedral style. Here visitors can see fragments of the first buildings (monastery canteen).
The best place to get acquainted with the general picture of the architecture of the palace, of course, is the terrace. Here are guns and sundials. The gun has an automatic device that drives a sundial. Every day at noon she shoots. The construction of the clock tower was completed in 1843. There is a restaurant and cafe on the terrace, where tourists tired of walking can have a bite to eat and taste aromatic coffee. It offers an amazing view of the entire architecture, which is famous for the Pena Palace.
Many tourists are attracted by the image of the newt, which is a symbol of allegory with the creation of the world. The palace is surrounded by over 200 hectares of forested land. Locals claim that they are home to wild animals.
A park
No less beautiful is the park that surrounds such a structure as the Pena Palace (Portugal). When designing it, King Ferdinand II ordered seedlings from around the world. This is how it appeared here: North American sequoia, ginkgo from China, magnolias, Japanese Cryptomeria and a huge number of ferns from New Zealand and Australia.
The park has an interesting system of tunnels and narrow roads that connect all the exits from the park to the palace. One of them leads to a statue of a bronze knight, which is visible from the terrace of the palace. Who became the model for this work is unknown. When the fog envelops the mountain, the palace park, as if by magic, turns into a fairy forest. The exquisite taste of the king manifests itself, which, apparently, was a romantic.
Palace today
Today, an amazing palace and park are the main attractions of Sintra. After the palace became a museum, tourists from all over the world rushed 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 colors of the facade were restored. Now the Pena Palace sparkles with bright colors, which delights visitors.
Travel Tips
Those wishing to see this attraction of Sintra are advised to come here in the morning, since already at lunchtime there are usually quite a lot of tourists here. In addition, you can purchase tickets at a small discount during the first hour of work. It is more advisable to purchase a full ticket, which includes a visit to the palace and the museum. In this case, you will not miss anything interesting.
Read carefully the plan of the park, or rather take a free brochure. The park is very large, and if you yourself want to take a walk here, you can get lost. We recommend that you go to the palace on a longer road to enjoy the beauty of the place. It will open before you gradually in all its glory. In 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 short, so it is better to postpone his visit to another day.
Tourists reviews
Pena Palace leaves no one indifferent. The bright, unusual structure located on the hill is impressive. Various architectural styles, intertwined together, amaze and delight. Some travelers find the interior of the palace a little boring, but on the outside it is magnificent. Many are impressed by the visit to the terrace, which offers stunning views. Children are delighted with a cannon firing every day. Tourists often rise here by noon, so as not to miss a volley. Visitors leave especially many enthusiastic reviews after visiting a beautiful park with a huge number of unusual plants.