Cultural Landscape of Sintra

The last UNESCO site we visited in our 2010 mini tour was the Cultural Lanscape of Sintra and we felt in love with this town. 

I love castles, palaces and religious buildings, so there was a lot to see in Sintra. We visited the Pena National Palace, the Castle of the Moors, the Monserrate Palace, the Convent of the Capuchos and the Regaleira Palace. Unfortunately, we didn't visit the Sintra National Palace. Some other time. 

Sintra National Palace, Pena Palace, Monserrate Palace and Castle of the Moors

This postcard was given to me by my friend Lobo

In the 19th century Sintra became the first centre of European Romantic architecture. Ferdinand II turned a ruined monastery into a castle where this new sensitivity was displayed in the use of Gothic, Egyptian, Moorish and Renaissance elements and in the creation of a park blending local and exotic species of trees. 

Sintra

This postcard was sent by Vitória "Blicas Blocas"

Other fine dwellings, built along the same lines in the surrounding serra , created a unique combination of parks and gardens which influenced the development of landscape architecture throughout Europe. - in: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/723/

Monserrate Palace

The Monserrate Palace (Portuguese: Palácio de Monserrate) is an exotic palatial villa located near Sintra, Portugal, the traditional summer resort of the Portuguese court. It was restored in 1858 for Sir Francis Cook, an English baronet created visconde de Monserrate by King Luís. Monserrate turned to an English architect, James Knowles Jr., for designs. Though its Moghul-inspired details are unique in Portugal, its eclecticism is a fine example of the Sintra Romanticism, along with other nearby palácios, such as the Pena Palace. - in: wikipedia

Pena National Palace

This postcard was brought to me by my cousin Isabel.

The Pena National Palace (Portuguese: Palácio Nacional da Pena) is a Romanticist palace in São Pedro de Penaferrim, in the municipality of Sintra, Portugal. The palace stands on the top of a hill above the town of Sintra, and on a clear day it can be easily seen from Lisbon and much of its metropolitan area. 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. 

Pena National Palace

The palace's history started in the Middle Ages when a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Pena was built on the top of the hill above Sintra. According to tradition, construction occurred after an apparition of the Virgin Mary.

Pena National Palace

This postcard was sent by Paula 

In 1838, as King consort Ferdinand II, he decided to acquire the old monastery, all of the surrounding lands, the nearby Castle of the Moors and a few other estates in the area. King Ferdinand then set out to transform the remains of the monastery into a palace that would serve as a summer residence for the Portuguese royal family. The commission for the Romantic style rebuilding was given to Lieutenant-General and mining engineer Baron Wilhelm Ludwig von Eschwege. Eschwege, a German amateur architect, was much traveled and likely had knowledge of several castles along the Rhine river. The construction took place between 1842–1854, although it was almost completed in 1847: King Ferdinand and Queen Maria II intervened decisively on matters of decoration and symbolism. Among others, the King suggested vaultarches, Medieval and Islamic elements be included, and he also designed an ornate window for the main façade (inspired by the chapter house window of the Convent of the Order of Christ in Tomar). 

Pena National Palace

This postcard was sent by Leninha

After the death of Ferdinand the palace passed into the possession of his second wife Elisa Hensler, Countess of Edla. The latter then sold the palace to King Luís, who wanted to retrieve it for the royal family, and thereafter the palace was frequently used by the family. In 1889 it was purchased by the Portuguese State, and after the Republican Revolution of 1910 it was classified as a national monument and transformed into a museum. The last queen of Portugal, Queen Amélia, spent her last night at the palace before leaving the country in exile. - in: wikipedia

Sintra National Palace

 This postcard was sent by José "PilotOne".

The Sintra National Palace (Portuguese: Palácio Nacional de Sintra), also called Town Palace (Palácio da Vila Vila=Town) is located in the town of Sintra, in the Lisbon District of Portugal. It is a present day historic house museum.

It is the best preserved medieval Royal Palace in Portugal, from being inhabited more or less continuously from at least the early 15th century to the late 19th century. - in: wikipedia

Regaleira Palace

This postcard was sent by Ana "Ninocas"

Quinta da Regaleira is an estate located near the historic center of Sintra, Portugal. It is classified as a World Heritage Siteby UNESCO within the "Cultural Landscape of Sintra".

The Regaleira Palace (Portuguese: Palácio da Regaleira) bears the same name as the entire estate. The structure's façade is characterized by exuberantly Gothic pinnacles, gargoyles, capitals, and an impressive octagonal tower.

The palace contains five floors (a ground floor, three upper floors, and a basement). - in: wikipedia

Regaleira Palace and Castle of the Moors

The Castle of the Moors (Portuguese: Castelo dos Mouros) is a hilltop medieval castle located in the central Portuguese civil parish of Santa Maria e São Miguel, in the municipality of Sintra. Taken by Christian forces from the Moors after the fall of Lisbon, it was an important strategic point during the Reconquista, - in: wikipedia

Castle of the Moors

This postcard was sent by Paula