Pena Palace
The Pena Palace adorns the city of Sintra; it is called one of the most striking and memorable attractions of Portugal. It is made in a pseudo-medieval style. The entire composition of the castle and the adjacent park is one of the early examples of romantic landscape architecture of the 19th century. Against its background, picturesque photographs are obtained.
History of Pena Palace
It can be seen from afar, because it is located on a high hill. When the sun breaks through the clouds, on the clearest day the complex will be visible even in Lisbon. Since 1995, the Pena Palace has occupied a place of honor among UNESCO architectural monuments. It’s hard to imagine now, but previously this magnificent structure was only a small chapel. It was built on the spot where the Virgin Mary appeared to the Portuguese. In the 18th century, the building was struck by lightning several times in a row. After that, there was nothing more on the site of the castle except ruins. The chapel and its marble decoration remained intact, without any significant damage.
Features of Pena Palace
For decades, the place looked like one continuous ruin. In 1983, King Ferdinand II decided to restore the monastery to its former appearance. He was more guided by the fact that he wanted to set up his summer residence on this site.
Construction work was carried out from 1842 to 1854. Everyone who held the highest rank in the country's government branch actively used the Pena Palace before the outbreak of the revolution. After it, Pena Castle was named a national architectural monument, and a museum was opened inside.
What Pena Palace looks like
The castle combined several styles simultaneously: neo-Gothic, neo-Manueline, neo-Renaissance, neo-Islamic style. The palace is located on a high mountain, it is divided into four parts. The first part is the foundation, which forms the walls and gates. The second part is an old monastery with a clock tower. There is also a courtyard with arches. And the fourth part is allocated to the palace territory with a bastion.
The inside of the palace is as interesting as the outside. Guests have the opportunity to see how the kings lived. In one of these rooms, frescoes, paintings, many paintings, furniture, sculptures, stained glass windows and much more attract attention. You can take a walk in the park and admire the beauty of the local nature.
