Pena Palace

Palace in Sintra

Pena Palace
CC BY-SA 4.0 / Ingo Mehling

The magnificent Palácio da Pena exemplifies 19th-century Romantic revivalism in Portugal, and is a must-see for visitors to Sintra.

Perched atop the Monte da Pena, the palace occupies the site of an old monastery belonging to the Order of St. Jerome. Its creation was inspired by Dom Fernando of Saxe Coburg-Gotha, who married Queen Dona Maria II in 1836 and fell in love with Sintra. He purchased the convent and surrounding land to build a summer palace for the royal family.

The palace’s design incorporates Portuguese architectural and decorative elements in neo-Gothic, neo-Manueline, neo-Islamic, and neo-Renaissance styles. The king consort also created an extensive woodland park in the English style, featuring a diverse collection of exotic trees.

The palace’s interior retains its original royal decoration, including a stunning alabaster altarpiece attributed to Nicolau Chanterenne, one of the architects of Lisbon’s Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. The chapel’s walls are painted with a trompe l’oeil effect and decorated with azulejos.

Visitors can dine at a restaurant located in one of the palace’s wings, which boasts a terrace offering panoramic views of the Serra de Sintra and the coastline.

The Pena Palace appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Sintra!

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Visiting Pena Palace

Hours:

9.45am-7pm


Price:

combined ticket with Parque da Pena adult/child €14/12.50

Address: Pena Palace, Estrada da Pena, Sintra, Portugal
Duration: 20 minutes
Official Website

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