Palazzo Monte
Monte Palace annually attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world; it is one of the many majestic architectural sites in Portugal. The elegance of the architecture is combined with wild nature. While visiting the attraction you can see peacocks, white and black swans, chickens, ducks and Japanese carp.
History of the Monte Palace
It begins with the arrival of the English consul Murray on the island of Madeira, who acquired a plot in the south of the island and named it the Monte estate. At the end of the 20th century, wealthy representatives of the famous Madeiran families settled in this place. In 1900, the estate was acquired by Alfred Rodrigues, where he made significant changes and built his own palace.
The Monte Palace began to serve as a hotel; many famous personalities stayed here at different times. Before the outbreak of World War II, the property passed to the heirs of Rodrigues, who did not want to continue his business. Later they sold this complex, and it was named the Tropical Garden of Monte. Significant changes have taken place here - new plants have appeared, and many parts of the palace have been restored. The park itself is decorated with square stones, figures, and Japanese lanterns that were brought by Portuguese sailors.
Features of the attraction
The Monte Palace is today a picturesque museum. It hosts exhibitions of various international and local artists. The complex consists of 3 floors, on the first two floors there are sculptures of famous people of Portugal, on the last floor there is a collection of minerals from all over the world. The collection of minerals is amazing - minerals from Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Chile and also Australia are collected here.
Another unique place of the Monte Palace is the tropical garden, which is located on the slope of a mountain, at an altitude of 700 meters above sea level. In the rainforest, the visitor may encounter chickens, ducks and other birds. The main exhibit of the tropical garden is a black swan, which was brought here from Australia. A great contribution to the creation of this place was made by Jose Berardo, who was so fascinated by the beauty of Asian countries that he decided to move this piece to Portugal - two oriental gardens were created near the tropical garden, where beautiful Japanese sakura and a number of other Asian plants grow, and you can also find here Buddha statues.
In short, the Monte Palace provides unique structures that delight many tourists from all over the world. This is the pride of Portugal; here you can enjoy not only the architecture, but also the amazing nature. After visiting the complex, you will be left with vivid memories that will last for many years.
