Long Description:Sintra is one of those magical places where man and nature come
together in a perfect symbiosis, as if wishing to leave us in a
state leave of permanent surprise, enraptured by the beauty of
their joint efforts.
Known in ancient times as Mons Lunae (the Hills of the Moon),
because of its strong traditions of astral cults, still clearly
visible in the region's countless monuments and archaeological
remains, the Serra de Sintra is a granite outcrop roughly 10 km
long, rising abruptly between a vast plain to the north and the
estuary of the River Tagus to the south. It is a mountain range
that twists and turns, projecting into the Atlantic Ocean to form
Cabo da Roca - the headland that marks the westernmost point of'
continental Europe.
Cherished and revered over so many years, the Serra de Sintra
today contains a fabulous collection of monuments from a whole host
of different epochs, ranging from prehistoric times to the present
day. This is a clear demonstration of the region's great respect
for other people and its enormous cultural tolerance. Almost as
important as the diversity of the monuments is the tremendous
environmental wealth of the Serra. Thanks to its unique
microclimate, Sintra has some of the most beautiful parks in
Portugal, planted in keeping with a certain romantic taste, as well
as a dense and verdant natural vegetation, affording the region an
air of great majesty amidst the splash of different greens.
The visitor can therefore choose between descending into the
Neolithic era at Tholos do Monge; enjoying the view of the distant
horizons from the walls of the Castelo dos Mouros, an
eighth-century Moorish defensive construction; experiencing the
harsh austerity of the Franciscan monks of the Convento dos
Capuchos; strolling through the delightful mysteries of the Palacio
da Pena, a mythical and magical palace that seems more like a
continuation of the actual mountain; or savouring the nooks and
crannies of the Parque da Pena, a place of love and exoticism that
exudes great peace and serenity.
In view of their ancient and heterogeneous quality, the group of
buildings forming the region's so-called historical centre offers
the visitor a fascinating trip into the human past, a chance to
feel and admire the different ages that have provided so much
history.
The town of Sintra still retains its essentially medieval
layout, with narrow and labyrinthine streets, steps and arcades. It
is, however, dominated by the Palacio Nacional, its main
architectural feature and the most fascinating regal construction
in Portugal. This is a palace that was not created just once nor in
just one period, but instead is the result of a harmonious and
seductive assembly of different parks, built in successive phases
and in a variety of styles. And it is these multiple tastes and
mentalities that have - largely contributed to the strange beauty
of this palace. Amongst its different phases of building work,
perhaps the most notable are the two great periods that gave the
palace both its shape and character: the one led by D. Joao I in
the first third of the fifteenth century and then, a century later,
in the first quarter of the sixteenth century, the one that took
place in the reign of D. Manuel I.
The palace has been the setting for countless important events in
national history. It was here that D. Afonso V was born and died;
D. Joao II was proclaimed king; D. Manuel I received the news of
the discoveries of India and Brazil; D. Sebastiao departed to fight
the ill-fated battle of Alcacer Quibir; and the unfortunate D.
Afonso VI was so sadly imprisoned. This palace was the preferred
residence for royal leisure seekers, simultaneously serving as a
centre for their recreation and learning. Inside the palace, the
bucolic poet Bernardim Ribeiro could be seen strolling regularly
through its rooms, whilst the playwright Gil Vicente performed
here, Joao de Barros engaged in his writings, and Camoes probably
read his Lusiadas to D. Sebastiao for the first time.
Amidst the palace's labyrinthine and surprising collection of
rooms, courtyards, staircases, corridors and galleries, one of the
most notable features is what amounts to the largest and richest
set of Mudejar azulejos to be found in the Iberian Peninsula. In
view of the peculiarly peninsular quality of this type of ceramic
covering, this is equivalent to saying the richest and largest
collection of such tiles in the world.
Visitors will feel as though they have entered a Moorish palace,
the kind of which fairy tales are made. They will stare in wonder
at the ceiling of the Sala dos Cisnes (Swans' Room), which reminds
us of the marriage of the InFanta D. lsabel of Portugal to Philip
the Good, Duke of Burgundy, marvel at the somewhat malicious
revival of medieval legends in the Sala das Pegas (Magpie or
Reading Room), and gasp in admiration at the fantastic Sala dos
Brasoes (Armoury), its glorious ceiling decorated with the coats of
arms of the Portuguese nobility and its floor worn away by the
continuous striding back and forth of D. Afonso VI, incarcerated in
this room for the last nine years of his life. And, as they leave
the palace, they cannot fail to cast one last admiring glance from
the inside at the huge conical chimneys of the monks' kitchen, the
best known and defining landmark of the town of Sintra.
The historical centre does, however, contain other monuments of
great dignity and interest that should also be admired: the Torre
do Relogio (clock tower), Igreja de Sao Martinho, Paco dos
Ribafria, Convento da Trindade, Igreja de Santa Maria, a remarkable
series of ancestral fountains, such as the Fonte da Pipa and the
Fonte da Sabuga. And it is also worth paying an attentive visit to
the Jewish quarter, a group of houses inhabited by the followers of
the Laws of Moses.
On the outskirts of the town are some of most beautiful and
important creations of the Romantic movement. At the top of the
Serra stands the nineteenth-century Palacio da Pena, the delightful
product of the dreams of an artist king, D. Fernando, whilst at the
foot of the mountains magnificent chalets are to be found scattered
here and there, as well as small palaces such as the neo Oriental
Monserrate, surrounded by its exuberant and exotic park and
constituting a genuine botanical museum, and large stately homes,
such as the Quinta do Relogio, with its neo-Moorish palace, or the
Quinta da Regaleira, carrying us back to the world of initiatory
symbols. All this is finally, a brilliant revivalist cycle that
completely transformed the Sintra landscape in a most remarkable
and seductive fashion.
In I924, a sophisticated casino was built with all the
delightful atmosphere created by Art Nouveau for the entertainment
and enjoyment of the elite of the recently-formed Republican
bourgeoisie. This remained a great tourist attraction in Sintra
until it disappeared in 1938. Today, the beautiful building of the
former casino houses a magnificent collection of contemporary
art.
For all these reasons, plus the freshness of the region's pure
air, the mists of its indescribable mystery and its vibrant
culture, the great variety of its organised events - a special
mention here for the Music Festivals and Ballet Nights organised in
the summer - Sintra is still very much as it was once described by
Robert Southey: ''the most blessed place in the whole of the
inhabitable world''
The given coordinates are from Sintra National Palace.
Text provided by the Portuguese Tourist Office