Mafra Palace

Mafra Palace is the largest royal palace in Portugal and was built between 1717 and 1730 under the supervision of Italians, Portuguese and Germans. The palace of Martha included a church, a palace and a monastery, and many city funds were spent on the construction of buildings.

Today, the town of Mafra seems to be a cluster of toy houses compared to the palace: the height of the three-storey city house does not reach the eaves of the second floor of the palace. It is the largest collection of bells in the world, which can be heard within a radius of 24 kilometers.

About 330 monks lived in Mafra Palace, while making changes and modernizations to the palace complex. Between about 1771 and 1791 the Monks of the Order of St. Augustine lived in this monastery.

Over time, the unique building gradually turned into a summer residence, and in the middle of the nineteenth century, its rear part was allocated for the needs of the armed forces. Now the palace complex is declared a national monument, and at the end of the XX century significant restoration work was carried out here.

Mafra Palace is famous for numerous magnificent sculptures, paintings and Italian statues. The famous palace library deserves special attention, which amazes the imagination with a significantly large collection of ancient books. Some books that have a long history are written on golden pages.