Montserrat Palace

Montserrat Palace is located in a 33-hectare park near Sintra. This place features over 3,000 species of plants from all five continents. Every year the attraction is visited by thousands of people from different countries. It was founded in 1858, and today it has not lost public interest.

History of Montserrat Palace

In 1789, the wealthy English merchant Gerard de Wisme, renting land near Sintra, built a building in the neo-Gothic style. After some time, the site was transferred to William Beckford. Before Lord Byron arrived in Sintra, the entire estate was plunged into ruins.

This served as a source of inspiration for the famous poet who immortalized Montserrat in the famous work "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage". It is not surprising that many tourists, after reading the poem, were fascinated by everything that was happening and many decided to look at the Montserrat Palace with their own eyes.

It is impossible to list all the visitors; if we talk about the most famous, one of them was Francis Cook. He was a wealthy industrialist who was awarded the title Viscount of Montserrat by King Louis. When Cook took possession of the palace, he immediately launched the restoration process. Thus, the medieval ruin was masterfully turned into a stunning palace, made in the style of romanticism.

Montserrat Palace today

Around the palace today you can see a wide variety of plants brought from different parts of the world. The artist William Stockdale and the gardener Francis Burt, inspired by Cook, were able to design the garden landscape in such a way that it neatly combined richness and delicacy. While walking around Montserrat Palace, special attention should be paid to the rose garden. There are a lot of flowers planted there and it’s all for a reason. The rose, being a symbol of England, was very dear to Cook.

All the splendor of the city of Sintra is clearly visible in the many palaces and castles built in this region. Montserrat Palace takes its well-deserved place among the brightest attractions of the city and the country as a whole. The UNESCO World Heritage Site included the landmark in its honorary list of architectural monuments in 1995. In 2013, the park received the European Garden Award for the best historical park or garden. Looking inside the palace, it is immediately worth noting the main dome. If you look closely, you can see a beautiful wood frame on the inside.