Pena Palace

Sintra, Portugal

The Pena Palace stands on the top of a hill in the Sintra Mountains above the town of Sintra, and on a clear day it can be easily seen from Lisbon and much of its metropolitan area. It is a national monument and constitutes one of the major expressions of 19th-century Romanticism in the world. The palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal. It is also used for state occasions by the President of the Portuguese Republic and other government officials.

The castle's history started in the Middle Ages when a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Pena was built on the top of the hill above Sintra. In 1493, King John II, accompanied by his wife Queen Leonor, made a pilgrimage to the site to fulfill a vow. His successor, King Manuel I, was also very fond of this sanctuary, and ordered the construction of a monastery on this site. For centuries Pena was a small, quiet place for meditation, housing a maximum of eighteen monks.

In the 18th century the monastery was severely damaged by lightning. However, it was the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755, occurring shortly afterwards, that took the heaviest toll on the monastery, reducing it to ruins. Nonetheless, the chapel (and its works of marble and alabaster) escaped without significant damage.

For many decades the ruins remained untouched, but they still astonished young prince Ferdinand. In 1838, as King consort Ferdinand II, he decided to acquire the old monastery, all of the surrounding lands, the nearby Castle of the Moors and a few other estates in the area. King Ferdinand then set out to transform the remains of the monastery into a palace that would serve as a summer residence for the Portuguese royal family. The commission for the Romantic style rebuilding was given to Lieutenant-General and mining engineer Baron Wilhelm Ludwig von Eschwege. Eschwege, a German amateur architect, was much traveled and likely had knowledge of several castles along the Rhine river. The construction took place between 1842–1854, although it was almost completed in 1847: King Ferdinand and Queen Maria II intervened decisively on matters of decoration and symbolism. Among others, the King suggested vault arches, Medieval and Islamic elements be included, and he also designed an ornate window for the main façade.

After the death of Ferdinand the palace passed into the possession of his second wife Elisa Hensler, Countess of Edla. The latter then sold the palace to King Luís, who wanted to retrieve it for the royal family, and thereafter the palace was frequently used by the family. In 1889 it was purchased by the Portuguese State, and after the Republican Revolution of 1910 it was classified as a national monument and transformed into a museum. The last queen of Portugal, Queen Amélia, spent her last night at the palace before leaving the country in exile.

The palace quickly drew visitors and became one of Portugal's most visited monuments. Over time the colors of the red and yellow façades faded, and for many years the palace was visually identified as being entirely gray. By the end of the 20th century the palace was repainted and the original colors restored.

In 1995, the palace and the rest of the Cultural Landscape of Sintra were classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

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Details

Founded: 1842-1854
Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in Portugal

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Thomas Coward (6 months ago)
Amazing, but I would only pay 10 euros for the park entrance. Even with the park entrance you can walk around a significant amount of the castle for free. It’s only the interior that needs an extra ticket. If you go into the castle on the left when you get to the queue, there is plenty to see - including the exterior wall walk and chapel. The interior is fine if you are keen for extra history, otherwise I’d skip it. It’s very busy also inside if you pay the additional 10 euros. More like a walking queue. The wall walk is a highlight, but only if you are not scared of heights. The park grounds are stunning, one of the nicest parks I’ve seen, some parks are breath taking and the effort that goes into maintaining it chines through.
NT-S NNANN (6 months ago)
I went to the Peña Palace, shrouded in mist. Enter a world beyond comprehension. I was surprised that such a place really exists. The 500m slope from the entrance is a little steep, but it's fun to climb while looking at the surrounding scenery, and you'll arrive at the palace in no time. There is a round-trip bus, but it costs money. You can also tour the inside of the palace, but it's an additional fee. But it's a must-see. It's so beautiful. There are so many things to say, but if I had to say one thing, it would be to look at the ceilings. The ceilings have different structures and patterns in each room, which is interesting. I heard it would be very crowded, but maybe because I went early in the morning, it wasn't that crowded. However, people start to gather, so I think it will get crowded around noon. I recommend going early.
Kim Bull (7 months ago)
This is well worth a visit. It's a UNESCO world heritage site, so very popular with tourists. Book early to get a place on one of the timed guided tours inside the Palace. It's possible to walk a complete circuit of the palace walls, providing fantastic views. The terrace cafe is busy and hectic but for a quieter dining experience, head for the indoor restaurant. Enjoy exploring the beautiful woodland gardens. There's something interesting to see at every turn.
Lei Z. (8 months ago)
The exterior of this palace is much more interesting than the interior, which is way underwhelming. We visited few other palaces in Lisbon and have seen much more magnificent rooms and decors. If you do plan to visit, book your time slots at least two days in advance, arrive early and get prepared for moderate level of hill climbing from the entrance.
ELKCAT Adventures (8 months ago)
Way overcrowded and difficult to get to. Don’t get me wrong, it’s beautiful, but the logistics of getting there are a pain, and once you’re there, you’re packed in with thousands of other people, making it difficult to enjoy. Especially considering the price you pay to get in. It would be nice if they had two ticket options: one for touring only the grounds and another for going inside. Walking around the terrace and exterior was the best part for us. The interior is similar to any other castle or palace in Europe from around that time period. As for getting there, we parked at one of the train stations at the bottom of the hill. While eating lunch, we asked the server the best way to get to the palace and were told to take the city bus. When we got to the bus stop, there was a giant line of people in the queue. We priced out a Bolt and saw that it was only 1€ more than the bus for our family of six, so we went with that option. At the top, someone scanned our tickets to let us into the grounds (our tickets were scanned three more times before we actually made it inside the palace). By the time we were done, it was nearly closing time, and taxis lined up outside were eager to get any business since they were heading downhill anyway, so we were able to get a taxi down for the same price using Bolt. The terrace and walkway around the exterior were truly the best part of our experience there. Maybe one day there will be a cable car or something like that to make it easier to visit.
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