E-Car Self Guided Tour / Palacio da Pena / Regaleira / Monserrate

Palácio da Pena The fantastic Pena Palace is one of the greatest examples of the 19th century romantic revival. XIX in Portugal. Located in Monte da Pena, the Palace was built on the site of a former convent of friars of the Order of Saint Jerome. It was the brainchild of D. Fernando de Saxe Coburg-Gotha, who married Queen Maria II in 1836. In love with Sintra, he decided to acquire the convent and the surrounding lands to build the royal family's summer palace. The king consort adopted Portuguese architectural and decorative forms for the palace, in the revivalist style (Neo-Gothic, Neo-Manueline, Neo-Islamic, Neo-Renaissance) and in the surroundings decided to make a magnificent English park, with the most varied tree species. exotic. Inside, still decorated to the taste of the kings who lived there, the chapel stands out, where you can see a magnificent altarpiece in alabaster marble attributed to Nicolau Chanterenne (one of the architects of the Jerónimos Monastery, in Lisbon)

"The origin of the name came from a temple built some 308 years before Christ, by Greeks, Gallo-Celts and Turdulus, dedicated to the Moon. The Celts called the Moon 'Cynthia' and when the Arabs dominated the region, for not pronouncing the 's', called the place 'Chintra' or 'Zintira'." Contemporary archaeological research, however, reveals that the primitive occupation of the Sintra region dates from the 10th to the 8th centuries BC. The Muslim invasion of the Iberian Peninsula, from the 8th century onwards the region was occupied, and its settlement received the name of "as-Shantara". Scholars agree in stating that they were responsible for the primitive fortification of the rock, between the 8th and 9th century, with the aim of strategically controlling the land routes that linked Sintra to Mafra, Cascais and Lisbon.

Quinta da Regaleira it´s located near the historic Center of Sintra, It is classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO it is considered one of the main tourist attractions of Sintra. António Augusto, by the design of the Italian architect Luigi Manini, gives the 4-hectare estate, the palace, surrounded by lush gardens, lakes, caves and enigmatic constructions, places that hide alchemical meanings, such as those evoked by Freemasonry, Templars and Rosa- cross. He models the space in mixed layouts, evoking Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Manueline architecture, and a luxurious park that features lakes, grottoes, wells, benches, fountains, and a vast array of exquisite constructions. The palace is also known as "The Palace of Monteiro the Millionaire", which is based on the nickname of its best known former owner, António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro. The palace was designed by the Italian architect Luigi Manini.

This fantastic Romantic park was created by William Beckford he was followed by , Francis Cook who also lived here. In 1793, the British writer William Beckford became the new tenant of Monserrate. Even in a state of decline, the site still attracted many foreign visitors, especially among the British. One such example was Lord Byron, the renowned poet who holds such an indelible link with the Romantic movement, who expressed his love for Monserrate in the poem "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage". Francis Cook, a British trader and art collector, became the owner of the Estate of Monserrate, he commissioned the construction of the palace that combines Gothic and Indian influences with Moresque suggestions. Diverse origins of the plants and establish differing scenarios along the pathways running between the ruins, lakes and waterfalls. William Neville and the master gardener James Burt but, above all, due to the romantic spirit of Francis Cook ...