Portugal: Sintra, Palace Pen

In 1147, the King of Afonus I (he is a great and Afonus conqueror), expanding the territory of the young independent Portugal, captured the Mauritan coastal fortress Sintra. Later, Lisbon became the capital of the new state, and Sintra, lying 23 km to the north-west, received the status of the royal resort and began to develop rapidly. Surrounded by forests City in the mountains was chosen by aristocratic families for recreation, walking and hunting. One of one here, the summer residence was erected, and every owner would like to see a neighbor.

Prior to this day, Sintra has kept the inconspicuous many architectural treasures and was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Among the most famous objects — National Palace, Mavrov Castle, Kapuchin Monastery and Palace-Park Complex Kinta da Regaleir. From Sintra to the sea, the tram line is laid, which is at the same time «alive» Museum: It employs old trams, built more than 100 years ago.

Every sight of Sintra has its own history, but our tour is on only one amazing monument this time — Fairy Palace Pena. He is obliged to prince Ferdinand Saxen-Koburg-Gothsky — Queen of Portugal Mary II. The residence of the royal family was the palace in the center of Sintra, but the prince decided to make a luxurious gift to the spouse — And in 1838, on a high rock above the city, construction of a castle in a fantastic pseudo-medium-style. At this place were the ruins of the monastery, destroyed by the earthquake of 1755. However, a chapel made from marble and the foundation of the monastery complex was able to survive a natural disaster, and architects used them as a basis.

But neither the Queen nor the prince took advantage of his new real estate: Maria II died in 1853, and the prince, though he continued to mess around with an unsuccessful gift, also did not live up to the end of construction. In 1889, the palace became the property of the Portuguese state, and its last inhabitant became the queen of Amelia Orleans. In 1910, a revolution occurred in the country, the queen went to exile, and the palace was classified as a national monument and turned into a museum.

Over time, the red and yellow colors of the facade swelling to boring gray, but after the restoration at the end of the 20th century, the original design was restored. Inner rooms with decoration are preserved in the form in which the queen of Amelia left them, but the greatest interest of visitors is caused by the appearance of the palace and the park surrounding it.

Palace and Park Complex, work on which several decades took part, I absorbed a variety of styles: Neo-Oisloe, Neoanuelino, Neoislam and Neenensans. Architects were inspired by the most famous masterpieces, so in the outlines of the Palace of the Pen, you can see the similarity from the Torri di-Belen tower in Lisbon, Bavarian castles and other great examples of world architecture.

At the entrance to the inner yard, guests meets the monster hanging over the arch: half a fish, half a person, the hair of which is gradually moving into a grape vine. This is a mythical sculpture–Allegory of the creation of the world of four elements: fire, water, sky and land.

In the park of 270 hectares, plants are collected from different parts of the planet: North American magnolias, Japanese camelia, Australian ferns, a variety of cypresses and cedar. The tracks are laid on the principle of the labyrinth, and the terraces open picturesque views of the synthru and its surroundings. In clear weather, even Lisbon is visible, well, and the flight over a fabulous lock with the help of our panoramas will allow you to make a romantic walk right now.