Pena Palace and Park, Sintra, Portugal, 4K

#portugal #sintra
A walking tour through a very romantic place.
Date: November 14, 2021.
Location: 30 km west of Lisbon.
The National Palace of Pena stands out as the renowned jewel in the crown of the Sintra Hills. The surrounding park, in close harmony with the magical character of the palace, triggers emotions of mystery and discovery. In its nooks and corners, our gaze gets lost amongst its charms.
The coloured tones of the palace, the pinnacle of Romanticism in Portugal and the eternal legacy of Ferdinand II, the King-Artist, opens the doors to the imagination of all those who cross its threshold, with the infinite shades of green painting the surrounding park establishing an idyllic scenario, frequently hidden under the veil of the mists that characterise the Sintra Hills. As if having stepped out of a fairy tale, this has been the place of dreams for all the generation who have passed here and gazed upon its magnificence.
The history of this magical site reaches back to the 12th century, a point in time when there was a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Pena here. On this same location, King Manuel I ordered the construction of a Monastery, the Royal Monastery of Our Lady of Pena, subsequently handed over to the Hieronymite Order.
The earthquake which struck Lisbon in 1755 left the monastery practically entirely in ruins. However, even while stricken, the Monastery remained active and it would only be almost a century later, in 1834, following the abolition of religious orders in Portugal, that it was abandoned. The Park of Pena still retains areas that recall this period, for example, the Grotto of the Monk, the place where the monks went into secluded retreat.
Two years later, in 1836, Queen Maria II married Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a prince in this noble household and nephew of the ruling Duke of Coburg, Ernest I and King Leopold I of Belgium. According to the nuptial contract, Ferdinand was bestowed with the status of King-consort.
Ferdinand II was one of the most cultured men of 19th century Portugal. A polyglot, he spoke German, Hungarian, French, English, Spanish, Italian and, of course, Portuguese. In his childhood, the then Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha received a thorough education in which the arts, especially music and drawing, played fundamental roles. During his entire life, he maintained a deep connection with the arts whether as an artist, collector or sponsor and becoming known nationally as the King-Artist.
Shortly after his arrival in Portugal, he fell for Sintra and acquired, from his own personal fortune, the Monastery of Saint Jerome, then in ruins, as well as all the lands surrounding the property. This sixteenth century monastery held an enormous degree of fascination for the king stemming both from his Germanic education and the romantic imaginary prevailing at the time that attracted him to the hills and the aesthetic value of the ruins. The building is circled by other architectural structures that appeal to the medieval imaginary, such as the parapet paths, the lookout towers, an access tunnel and even its own drawbridge. The palace incorporates architectural references displaying Manueline and Moorish influences that together produce a surprising scenario recollecting “a thousand and one nights.”
In the park, reflecting the expression of the romantic aesthetic combined with the search for exoticism and the untamed wildness of nature, the king designed twisting paths that would take visitors off in discovery of key reference landmarks and where they could best appreciate some stunning views: the High Cross, the Temple of Columns, St. Catherine’s Heights, the Grotto of the Monk, the Little Birds Fountain, the Queen’s Fern Valley and the Valley of the Lakes. Along the pathways, in keeping with his interest as a collector, he planted tree species from every continent and in the process rendering the 85 hectares of the Park of Pena as the most important arboretum existing in Portugal. Among the many highlights are the Asian camelia collections introduced by Ferdinand II into the Park of Pena in the 1840s and that have become a landmark in the Sintra winter and the cause for dances and festivals. The exotic groves frame pavilions and small constructions to great scenarios of unquestionable natural beauty that are also of great historical and heritage importance.
Following the death of Queen Maria II in 1853, Ferdinand would later marry Elise Hensler, an opera singer and the Countess of Edla. Together, they built the Chalet of the Countess of Edla located in the Park of Pena. This two-storey construction, of Alpine inspiration, contained a strong scenic component and maintained an expressive visual relationship with the Palace.
www.parquesdes...

[@lisalau2452]

Thank you for the well made video!

[@albertocarvalho1961]

I'm very happy that you liked it. Thanks for the comment.

[@josephrego2527]

The elegance and pristine beauty seen here is a magical never-ending feast for the senses. Johann Stauss's Blue Danube Waltz brings us just a tad closer to heaven!

[@albertocarvalho1961]

I am really very happy because my video was able to convey to you what I felt when I visited this place. I love this place. Thank you very much for your comment.

[@nadialtanchenko]

È bellissimo questo video! Anche musica. Grazie!👍

[@albertocarvalho1961]

Grazie per il commento. Sono molto contento che ti sia piaciuto.

[@MarthaGonzalez-zl7oq]

Gracias por mostrarnos este hermoso lugar. Muy lindo todo. El palacio. Los jardines., La naturaleza. Divino Sintra👍🇨🇴

[@albertocarvalho1961]

Gracias por el comentario. Me alegro mucho de que te haya gustado. Valió la pena hacer el video. Me gusta mucho el Parque y el Palacio da Pena en Sintra y espero que más personas puedan ver la belleza de estos lugares.

[@pearlkelly5271]

Nice video. How many hours did you spend in the park?

[@albertocarvalho1961]

Thank you for your comment. I spent 7 wonderful hours in this park and I didn't get tired of it. There are a lot of beautiful places in this park, places built by nature with a little help from man where we feel very good. And then there is the palace which is spectacular. I advise from the bottom of my heart that everyone spends at least 1 day in this park. You will never forget.

[@jewellyngonsalves4702]

Nice video. 👍🏻 Quick question, if one takes the park ticket do we get to see the exterior n the courtyard of the pena palace? I m not interested in seeing the interiors. Please do reply as we are going this week.

[@albertocarvalho1961]

Hello Jewellyn. Yes, with the park ticket you can see all the outer courtyards of the palace and you can go around the entire palace within the walls, you just can't see the interiors. Have a good trip and enjoy this fantastic park and palace in Pena.

[@jewellyngonsalves4702]

Also can you please tell me when u went to see the place, as there dont seem to be lot of ppl during ur time of visit.

[@albertocarvalho1961]

My visit was on November 14, 2021. I have to go back there. I miss this park. My favorite park. For the week at the end of February you won't find many people either. It is necessary to purchase a bus ticket that runs between the center of Sintra, next to the train station, and the Pena Park and Palace. It took me more than 7 hours to see the entire park, from 11:30 am to 7 pm. I saw every corner. I loved. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that at this time of year (autumn and winter) you can watch the sunset in the courtyard of the palace's arches. Top. Very romantic in a romantic park and palace. Enjoy.

[@aveserban]

Good morning!Does anyone know if with Viva Viagem can People get a reduction to palaces?

[@albertocarvalho1961]

Hello, Viva Viagem does not offer any reduction in the price of entrance tickets to the palaces. Good visit to the palaces. Thanks for your comment.

[@aveserban]

Alberto Carvalho thank you very much.I guess for museums and castel is good Lisboa card.

[@aveserban]

And Viva Viagem is only for trains,tubes and buses?

[@albertocarvalho1961]

@@aveserban Hello Avelana Serban. There is a card for museums and castle in Lisbon and there is a card for museums, palaces and castle in Sintra. Viva Viagem is only for trains, subways and buses. Thank you for your comments.

[@rosagallardo9105]

en la visita no dejan ver las habitaciones interiores?

[@albertocarvalho1961]

Sí, puede visitar las hermosas habitaciones interiores, pero existen restricciones para los videos públicos. Gracias por el comentario.

[@bozenarojowska3305]

podkład muzyczny kompletnie nieadekwatny - to nie Wieden ! :(

[@albertocarvalho1961]

Thanks for your comment.

[@alexanderp2375]

Hi, nice video. Quick question: If I buy a Pena PARK ticket, am I allowed to enter the outside of the castle, not the inside? I don't wanna spend any time inside the castle, but the outside of the castle, the building itself looks amazing.

[@albertocarvalho1961]

Thanks a lot for the comment. All the places that appear in the video I went only with the Pena Park ticket. This Pena Park ticket allows you to visit the park around the palace and to enter the courtyards of the palace and take a walk around the palace right next to the palace. If in doubt, go for a walk and enter wherever you want. Once inside the palace there is an entrance door into the building and there you need to have the Pena Palace ticket. I wish you have a great tour.