Monserrate Palace

Monserrate Palace

Interior view of the main dome

The Monserrate Palace (Portuguese: Palácio de Monserrate) is an exotic palatial villa located near Sintra, Portugal, the traditional summer resort of the Portuguese court.

History

It was restored in 1858 for Sir Francis Cook, an English baronet created Viscount of Monserrate by King Luís I. Monserrate turned to an English architect, James Thomas Knowles, for designs.

The design was influenced by Romanticism and Mudéjar Moorish Revival architecture with Neo-Gothic elements. The eclecticism is a fine example of the Sintra Romanticism, along with other nearby palácios, such as the Pena Palace and the Quinta do Relógio. The Islamic architectural influence is in reference to when the region was a part of the wider Muslim Gharb Al-Andalus until the 13th century.

Park

The terrace leads out into the large park. It is designed in a romantic style with a lake, several springs and fountains, grottoes, and is surrounded by lush greenery with rare species.

Trivia

• The Monserrate Palace briefly appears on the 1996 TV miniseries Gulliver's Travels.

Images

• 
  Fountain in central hallway
• 
  Library
• 
  Park

External links

Media related to Palácio de Monserrate at Wikimedia Commons

• Parques de Sintra | Monserrate Palace

Cultural landscape of Sintra
Palaces	Monserrate Palace Pena Palace Palace of Queluz Quinta da Regaleira Quinta do Relógio Ramalhão Palace Seteais Palace Palace of Sintra
Religious	Igreja de Santa Maria (Sintra) Convent of the Capuchos (Sintra)
Nature	Cabo da Roca Praia da Adraga
Civic	Sintra Natural History Museum Archaeological Museum of São Miguel de Odrinhas Castle of the Moors (Sintra)
Miscellaneous	Fountain of Armés

Coordinates: 38°47′39″N 9°25′14″W / 38.7942°N 9.4206°W / 38.7942; -9.4206