Royal Palace

The National Royal Palace is located in the heart of Sintra. It is visible from afar - two large smokestacks rise above the city, emerging from the royal kitchen. In this palace, the kings of Portugal lived from the XV to the end of the XIX century. Another name for this summer residence of the kings is the Village Palace.

Most of the palace was built at the end of the XIV century, during the reign of Joan I. The new palace was built on the site of the former residence of the Moorish rulers. Then King Manuel I decided to rebuild the palace at his own discretion. He rebuilt the building in Moorish style. As a result of the earthquake of 1755, the palace was seriously damaged, but was soon completely restored, but in the traditional Portuguese style of Manueline. Throughout the XIX century, this residence was a favorite place of the royal family. After the revolution in 1910, the palace was nationalized and listed as a monument to Portugal.

The solemn appearance of the building gives the white color of the facades, but the interiors are quite modest, decorated mainly with polychrome Seville tiles. Arabic motifs can be traced in the carved ceilings. Each of the palace halls hides many secrets and legends about its inhabitants. The Hall of Arms, the Hall of Forty, the Hall of Swans and the Arabian Hall, where traces of the 1755 earthquake have been preserved. In the Hall of Emblems, the coats of arms of 74 noble families are exhibited.