Sintra

Artificial arch in Monserrate Park, Sintra, standing over the path that connects the entrance of the estate to the palace.

Located in Monserrate Estate, Sintra, thus called because in 1540 a chapel had been built in honour of Our Lady of Montserrat, worshipped in Catalonia, this palace was made built in 1858 by Sir Francis Cook, a millionaire of textile industries who had bought the estate in 1856. James Knowles was responsible for the architecture. The park and the gardens were achieved by the landscaper William Stockdale, the botanist William Neville and the master gardener James Burt. The palace was the summer residence of the Cook family until 1947, when financial default forced the sale of the estate and the loss of the art collection gathered since the 19th century, dispersed in several auctions. In 1949 the estate was sold to the Portuguese State but only in 2010 the palace was restored, after decades without maintenance.

A view from the southeast aisle of the terrace that outlines the whole palace, one of Sintra's landmarks. Ornate windows with awnings deserve a look.

In Monserrate Palace, Sintra.

In Monserrate Palace, Sintra. The bookcases in walnut timber are mostly empty since the palace was sold by the family that owned it from the beginning.

Seen in a small chamber above the kitchen and next to the dining room.

In the ground floor of Monserrate Palace, Sintra.

It extends longitudinally at all the length of Monserrate Palace, Sintra.

Inside Monserrate Palace, Sintra.