!!!Pena National Palace

by Stas Sedov, Sergey Shandin,
members of the [AirPano Team|Geography/About/Consortium/AirPano,_Team] that is a member of the [global-geography Consortium|Geography/About/Consortium]. \\

20 April 2016

with kind permission of [AirPano|http://www.AirPano.com]

In the year 1147, in order to expand the territory of Portugal, King
Afonso I (also known as Afonso "the Conqueror" or "the Great") took
control over the village and the castle named Sintra. Later the status
of a capital moved to Lisbon, and Sintra, lying 23 kilometers to the
north-west, became the royal resort and started developing rapidly. The
village surrounded by woods and mountains was chosen to be the place for
recreation, strolls and hunting and was frequently visited by the local
aristocracy. One by one many luxurious summer residences were built
here, as if every owner wanted to transcend each other.

[{Image src='01_Pena National Palace, Sintra, Portugal.jpg' caption='Pena National Palace, Sintra, Portugal' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='601'}]

By now Sintra has preserved a great number of architectural treasures
and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The most remarkable
objects are the National Palace, the Castle of the Moors, the Convent of
the Capuchin and the estate of Quinta da Regaleira. Sintra is connected
with the Atlantic coast by the Sintra tramway, which can also serve as a
"living museum": some very old trams, produced more than a hundred years
ago, still run the line.

[{Image src='02_Pena National Palace, Sintra, Portugal.jpg' caption='Pena National Palace, Sintra, Portugal' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='594'}]

Every sight of Sintra has its own interesting history, but this time our
tour is dedicated to only one unique monument — the Pena National Palace
(Palácio Nacional da Pena). It owes its creation to Prince Ferdinand of
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a husband of Queen Maria II of Portugal. The
royal family had already had a residence in the center of Sintra, but
the Prince decided to make a gorgeous present to his wife and in 1838 he
initiated the building of the castle in the Romanesque Revival style on
a high top of a hill above the town. Previously, this place was occupied
by the ruins of the monastery, destructed by the great earthquake of
1755. However, the chapel made of marble and the foundation of the
monastery managed to avoid significant damage, so the architects used it
as the basis for the castle.

[{Image src='03_Pena National Palace, Sintra, Portugal.jpg' caption='Pena National Palace, Sintra, Portugal' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='594'}]

But neither the Queen, nor the Prince could properly use this estate:
Maria II passed away in 1853, yet Prince Ferdinand still took trouble
over the building of this "present", he didn't live to see it finished
too. In 1889 the palace became the property of the Portuguese State. The
last dweller of the palace was Queen Amélie of Orléans: in 1910 the
Republican Revolution took place in Portugal and the Queen left the
country in exile, while the palace was classified a national monument
and transformed into a museum.

[{Image src='04_Pena National Palace, Sintra, Portugal.jpg' caption='Pena National Palace, Sintra, Portugal' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='594'}]

Over the time the colors of the red and yellow façades faded to entirely
gray, but by the end of the 20th century the palace was repainted and
the original colors were restored. The interiors have been preserved as
it was left by Queen Amélie, but still, the major interest is drawn to
the exterior appearance and the surrounding park.

[{Image src='05_Interior of the Chapel of Pena National Palace.jpg' caption='Interior of the Chapel of Pena National Palace' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='594'}]

The creation of the Pena Palace and Park took several decades, and it
has gathered several quite different styles: Neo Gothic, Neo Manueline,
Neo Muslim and Neo Renaissance. The architects were inspired by the most
famous and outstanding masterpieces, so references to the Belem Tower,
Bavarian castles and many other great examples of the world's
architecture can be noticed here.

Upon entrance in the inner yard, the visitors are welcomed by the newt:
half a man, half a fish, its hair gradually turns into vine branches.
The depiction symbolizes the allegory of creation of the world out of
four elements: fire, water, sky and ground.

[{Image src='06_Pena National Palace, Sintra, Portugal.jpg' caption='Pena National Palace, Sintra, Portugal' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='541'}]

The Pena Park, having the total area of 270 hectares, possesses the
plants from all over the world: North American Magnolia, Japanese
Camellia, Australian Fern, different Cypresses and Cedars. The system of
paths and lanes of the park form a labyrinth, and the terraces offer
picturesque views of Sintra and surroundings. On a clear day even Lisbon
is easily seen from here, and the flight done with the help of our
panoramas will allow you to enjoy this romantic place right now.


\\ \\
[11 Panoramas of Pena National Palace|Geography/Europe/Portugal/Pictures/Panoramas_of_Pena_National_Palace]










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