!!!Sintra, Portugal

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

26 February 2020

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

Located 23 km away from Lisbon, there is a small town of Sintra that has
been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its major attraction is the
Pena National Palace. Among other great monuments of Sintra, there is
the Castle of the Moors. Built in the 9th and 10th centuries, it was an
important Moorish strategic point perched on top of the Sintra Mountains
that controlled the main ways connecting Lisbon, Sintra, Mafra and
Cascais.

During the following centuries, the castle had frequently changed hands
between the Muslims and the Christian knights and back, until the Moors
surrendered to Afonso I in 1147. His son, Sancho I, reconstructed the
castle and built the parish of São Pedro (Igreja de São Pedro) within
its walls. But in the 15th century, the majority of the inhabitants
abandoned the castle for the old village of Sintra. The castle had lost
its military importance and was progressively declining. The final blow
was delivered by the natural forces: after the lightning strike that
destroyed the tower, the castle was also damaged by the 1755 Lisbon
earthquake.

[{Image src='01_Sintra.jpg' caption='Castle of the Moors (Castelo dos Mouros). Sintra, Portugal\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='516'}]

In 1840, Ferdinand II of Portugal took up the task of improving the
condition of the castle, giving the walls and towers the air of the
Medieval Romanticism. In the middle of the 20th century, the towers were
newly strengthened and now this great architectural monument is
available for tourists. This place offers a wonderful view of Sintra and
the ocean.

The Sintra National Palace was built at the same time as the Castle of
the Moors and in the same way, was conquered by Afonso I. But the
architecture of that time had not survived: the present look, combining
Moorish, Manueline, and Gothic styles, was given to the castle in the
15th — beginning of the 16th century.

[{Image src='02_Sintra.jpg' caption='Sintra National Palace\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='516'}]

The unusual landmark of Sintra is the Clock Tower (Torre do Relógio).
Previously, it was a part of a prison, and its bell not only noticed the
timing but also the alarm in case of a breakout. In 1911, the prison
left these premises and now this building houses a post office. The
initial look of the tower is unknown: it was one of the numerous objects
destroyed by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. Now, Torre do Relógio is a
bright example of the Pombaline architecture. This style was initiated
by the first Marquês de Pombal who found the way to strengthen the
buildings by using tiles.

[{Image src='03_Sintra.jpg' caption='The clock tower (Torre do Relógio). Sintra, Portugal\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='516'}]

Quinta da Regaleira, the complex of a palace and a park, is a bright and
mysterious landmark of Sintra. The first reference to this place is
dated 1697 when a man named José Leite purchased a property on the edge
of the town. More recent records reflected the name Quinta da Torre
("Tower Estate") but which tower was referred to is unknown. In 1892,
the estate was acquired by Carvalho Monteiro who initiated a major
reconstruction. The result of this rebuilding that lasted for more than
100 years is a wonderful Neo-Gothic palace surrounded by a gorgeous
garden and decorated by towers, eagles, gargoyles, and the symbols of
Masonry, such as a 30-meters deep inverted tower. It can be compared to
a well that was used for Masonry ceremonial purposes. The name of the
estate refers to "regal", which is Latin for "royal".

[{Image src='04_Sintra.jpg' caption='Quinta da Regaleira. Sintra, Portugal\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='576'}]

Have a tour to the wonderful town of Sintra together with AirPano!

[{Image src='05_Sintra.jpg' caption='Pena National Palace. Sintra, Portugal\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='594'}]

\\ \\
[12 panoramas of Sintra|Geography/Europe/Portugal/Pictures/Sintra]

[{SET customtitle='Sintra (AP)'}]












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