- The Chapel
The chapel is part of the early monastery of the Hieronymite monks. - Royal dining room
This part of the palace was a former monastery. Refectory of the Hieronymite Monks was converted into this private royal dining room. The room has a vaulted Manueline ceiling from the 16th century and the tiles on the walls are from the 19th century. The table is set as for the Christmas dinner. - Detail
The interior is as exuberant as the exterior. - Eclectic palace
A very eclectic palace indeed. The chapel in the front and the clock tower in the back. I love the colours! - Pena Park
We didn't really have the time to enjoy the park but one day I will return... - Patio dos Arcos
View of the Stag Room/dwellings of King Manuel II from the Patio dos Arcos. - The entrance
The entrance. This is the official entrance, which is different from the actual entrance and different from the first entrance... The tiles are showing geometric Moorish patterns. - View from the Palace
SW view from the Palace over the Park towards the sea. - Pena Palace
A very eclectic and exotic palace. I like it. - Pena Palace
Pena palace in the mountains above Sintra is an example of nineteenth century Portuguese Romanticism. It was built by Dona Maria II, Queen of Portugal, Don Fernando II and The Countess of Edla and completed in 1854. - Sintra forest
Sintra forest - Entrance to the Convent
The Convent was built according to the simplicity of the Brothers and their complete submission to spiritual values. The harmony between human and divine works was established by placing the convent literally between the boulders. In the middle of a wonderful nowhere. - The Church
Marble altar-piece was donated by the Castro family. The coat of arms of the family is on the left. It was D. Álvaro de Castro who founded the Convent. - A cross
Scallop cross - Remains of a statue
The Convent was abandoned in 1834 when religious orders were suppressed in Portugal. It was privately owned until 1949 and in 1995 it fell under UNESCO protection. Renovated, it opened for public in 2001. - Why?
- Tranquility
Such a magical place, the words cannot describe it. - View from the Convent
View from the Convent towards the Atlantic Ocean - Convento dos Capuchos
View of the Convent from the central Cloister. Unfortunately, the cloister was under reconstruction. - Saint Francis
Chapel of Our Lord in Gethsemane painted by André Reinoso (17th century). The Convent was inhabited by the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, which were founded in 1525 from Franciscans. They wore hoods (or cappuccio), which also gave them the name. Oh, and the colour of their robes was brownish, which gave the name to capuccino :-) - Stairs
A lot of people walked through these doors... - Narrow pathways
Again, magic. I just can't imagine living here. - The Washroom
There are washing facilities, a cistern, a vat and latrines in the washroom. - The kitchen
A rather luxurious kitchen in comparison to other rooms. - The Convent
Left and right from the hallway are the tiniest rooms I have ever seen. The doors are about 70 cm tall. - The Convent
The Convent is built around/between/under boulders. Probably my favourite place in the whole Portugal. It's just magic. - The Cork Convent
The Convent is insulated with cork, hence the alternative name "Cork Convent". The name was given by William Beckford in his diary of a journey to Portugal in 1787. The cork is obtained from the many oaks in the grounds. - Door of Death
The Door of Death is the entrance to the Convent, symbolising renunciation of the world - Courtyard of the Bell
The entrance to the Convent. Two paths around the cross symbolise the free will of the ones entering. - Courtyard of the Fountain
Stone benches and the fountain that gives the name to the courtyard - Sintra forest
Late afternoon in the forest of Sintra-Cascais - Boulder Gate
The formal entrance to the Convent. - The entrance
The entrance of the Convent of the Capuchos (Convento dos Capuchos), or - as it is officially called - Convent of the Holy Cross of the Sintra Mountains (Convento de Santa Cruz da Serra da Sintra). Founded in 1560 and inhabited until 1834. One of the Crosses in the courtyard of the Crosses. - Sintra forest
Parque Natural de Sintra-Cascais. If there is a magical forest, this is it.