Quinta da Regaleira
Quinta da Regaleira is an amazing estate park, which is a rather mysterious area. This Portuguese landmark is full of mysteries and mysteries, luring many travelers to its territory. There is a park area in the Portuguese city of Sintra, which is 30 kilometers from Lisbon.
Tourists who find themselves on the territory of the manor park immediately forget about the daily hectic work, because everything here is very unusual and interesting. Nowadays, scientists from all over the world are puzzling over the puzzles of Quinta da Regaleira.
The park was named after the owner, Viscountess Regaleira, who owned the local estate since 1840. In 1892, the area was bought by Carvalho Monteiro, who was a millionaire from Brazil. It was this man who decided to do something unusual and grandiose here. The millionaire's idea has come true, because the park area is admired in our time. But an untrained, uninformed tourist cannot understand all the symbols of religions, as well as Freemasonry, the Templars, which are represented here. For a more exciting tour, we recommend that you prepare a little before going to the park or hire an experienced guide. If you do not want to plunge into the meaning of numerous symbols, as well as various signs, then you can simply admire the wonderful grottos, caves, and other local structures.
At the very entrance to the park stands the Quinta da Regaleira Palace, which was built in the neo-Romanesque style. The entrance to the palace is open, where you can appreciate the stone carvings, which feature images of various mystical animals, as well as plants.
There is a library here, which was organized by Monteiro himself, although the books are located under thick glass and, unfortunately, there is no way to scroll through their pages.
An armillary sphere was placed on one of the ornaments of the window sill of the castle, which could be used to determine the coordinates of celestial bodies. This instrument is found on several other sculptures in the park itself. A Roman Catholic chapel attracts attention near the palace.
The owner was completely dedicated to his park, because he lived here, not interested in city affairs. The Quinta da Regaleira Park accommodates a large number of different grottoes, most of which are forbidden to enter, as you may not find a way out. Some caves lead to a lake where ducks swim and fish live.
The spiral staircase of the well, which is 30 meters deep, is quite surprising. The staircase accommodates nine levels, each with 15 steps. The levels are located for a reason, but they have their own meaning: the nine circles of hell, purgatory and paradise. The Templar cross is located at the depth of the well. From the very bottom of the mysterious building there is an exit to a cave that leads to a small river. It was here that the initiation into Freemasonry ended, the stage when the initiate is passed by stones that lead through the river. This is not the only well in the park, but only in this one tourists have the opportunity to descend. There are also mysterious grottos that house various signs symbolizing Freemasonry. In different parts of the park area, there is an image of a lily or a shamrock, which are also related to the symbols of the Masonic lodge. This sign symbolizes the grass that soldiers used to take on campaigns, because it was considered a well-known effective treatment for many diseases.
The Quinta da Regaleira estate has been owned by the city Hall since 1997. You can get to Sintra from Lisbon by taking the train, but it's not difficult to walk to the main attraction in the city.
