Hidden in an obscure corner of Europe, is the fairytale town of Sintra, one hour from Lisbon. Here one feels like a character in a Brother's Grimm tale, engulfed in a deep green forest, dotted with ancient ruins and cartoon palaces.
The atmosphere is replete with the personalities and international flavor of those who built this town. An eccentric band of disillusioned nobles and frustrated artists, tired of hearing about Paris and Rome, and of stroking the egos of the cultural hipsters and bourgeoisie.
Here they came to squander their wealth, embrace their freedom, and entertain their imagination. Amongst them were King Ferdinand II and António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro, who's legacies became the focus of our excursion to Sintra.
Ferdinand, a German Prince, always felt his royalty had stifled his artistic talent, and he dreamt of a bohemian life in the warm sunshine of southern Europe. The sunshine he found at least in his marriage to Queen Maria of Portugal in 1836.
Maria held all the power in the Portuguese courts and while she attended her royal duties, Ferdinand could pursue his interests in painting, etching and pottery.
In the summer of 1842, he was visited by his beatnik compatriot, and amateur castle builder, Baron Wilhelm Ludwig von Eschwege. Together they lamented their failed artistic ambitions, sparking a debaucherous night of drinking and brainstorming, after which the two embarked on the design and construction of what would become one of the world's finest examples of 19th Century Romanticism.
The Palácio Nacional da Pena was completed 12 years later and encapsulated all of Ferdinand's artistic flair and appreciation for different cultures, with themed rooms and diverse architectural styles. arabic, gargoyles, rooms theme oriental, indian, arabic,
Down the road, there lived a Brazilian dilletante, António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro who, like his neighbours, had grandiose artistic ambitions for which he chose Sintra as his canvas. Aside from the obligatory mansion, he poured his creativity (and wealth) into the design of an elaborate garden, with the help of his flamboyantly gay companion, Luigi Manini.
A lawyer by trade, Monteiro was a devout philisophical and spiritual observer and incorporated many mysterious themes and symbols into the uniquely eccentric Quinta da Regaleira.
Underground tunnels span out from the base of a 30m well and lead to waterfall, aquarium, tennis court, and.
Masonic symbolism,
The atmosphere is replete with the personalities and international flavor of those who built this town. An eccentric band of disillusioned nobles and frustrated artists, tired of hearing about Paris and Rome, and of stroking the egos of the cultural hipsters and bourgeoisie.Here they came to squander their wealth, embrace their freedom, and entertain their imagination. Amongst them were King Ferdinand II and António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro, who's legacies became the focus of our excursion to Sintra.
Ferdinand, a German Prince, always felt his royalty had stifled his artistic talent, and he dreamt of a bohemian life in the warm sunshine of southern Europe. The sunshine he found at least in his marriage to Queen Maria of Portugal in 1836.Maria held all the power in the Portuguese courts and while she attended her royal duties, Ferdinand could pursue his interests in painting, etching and pottery.
In the summer of 1842, he was visited by his beatnik compatriot, and amateur castle builder, Baron Wilhelm Ludwig von Eschwege. Together they lamented their failed artistic ambitions, sparking a debaucherous night of drinking and brainstorming, after which the two embarked on the design and construction of what would become one of the world's finest examples of 19th Century Romanticism.
The Palácio Nacional da Pena was completed 12 years later and encapsulated all of Ferdinand's artistic flair and appreciation for different cultures, with themed rooms and diverse architectural styles. arabic, gargoyles, rooms theme oriental, indian, arabic,
Down the road, there lived a Brazilian dilletante, António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro who, like his neighbours, had grandiose artistic ambitions for which he chose Sintra as his canvas. Aside from the obligatory mansion, he poured his creativity (and wealth) into the design of an elaborate garden, with the help of his flamboyantly gay companion, Luigi Manini.A lawyer by trade, Monteiro was a devout philisophical and spiritual observer and incorporated many mysterious themes and symbols into the uniquely eccentric Quinta da Regaleira.
Underground tunnels span out from the base of a 30m well and lead to waterfall, aquarium, tennis court, and.
Masonic symbolism,
