The Palacio da Pena is a jewel of 19th century Portuguese romanticism, a colorful mix of architectural and decorative styles that stands in the Sintra mountains, a few minutes from Lisbon.
The diversity of palaces, castles and fortresses that we can find in Portugal is overwhelming, but if there is one that stands out above all the others, even for its location and its striking color, that is undoubtedly the Palacio da Pena, in Sintra. This palace, ordered to be built by King Ferdinand II in 1836, impresses both outside and inside and its historical richness made it a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995 along with the cultural landscape of Sintra.
An experience with which to discover this architectural wonder that is well worth a visit in person as soon as possible.
The mix of styles is tremendous, you will see Neo-Gothic, Neo-Manueline, Neo-Islamic and Neo-Renaissance, and it is that everything exotic fascinated the minds closest to the German-influenced romanticism of the time. The old cells of the friars were converted into large rooms with spectacular vaults, and in 1843 the king decided to expand it by adding a New Palace with even larger rooms. In fact, the striking colors of the complex allow the two constructions to be differentiated: old pink for the Old Palace and ocher for the New Palace.
If the rich interior decoration of each of its rooms seems to exceed your expectations, the Parque de la Pena should not be overlooked, since its landscaping was as important as the palace itself. With trees and plants from all over the world, with winding paths and stone benches where you can rest in the middle of nature, a complex is completed that was rightly declared a Portuguese National Monument in 1910.