Located at the top of the Sintra Mountains, the Pena Palace is one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal
The Pena Palace, nestled in the Sintra highlands, is a prominent sight in Portugal. The palace was created in the Romantic style of architecture in the nineteenth century and is one of Portugal’s Seven Wonders.
It is flanked by lush gardens and woodland and was designed to be seen from any location in the park in Sao Pedro de Prenaferrim. The palace is now a national monument as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The castle’s history began in the Middle Ages, with the oldest structure on the site being a church dedicated to Our Lady of Pena. King John II and his wife made a trip to the location towards the end of the 15th century to fulfill a pledge.Later in the 16th century, King Manuel I, King John II’s successor, rebuilt the chapel into a monastery and dedicated it to the Order of Saint Jerome. The monastery was destroyed by an earthquake in 1755, although the ancient chapel was unharmed.
The remains of the monastery had remained unchanged since 1834, when King-Consort Ferdinand II chose to purchase the old monastery as well as a few other properties in the vicinity, including the Castle of the Moors and its surrounding territories. The King erected the Palace of Pena in 1840, and three years later he chose to expand it by adding another wing known as the Bigger Palace, which had a new kitchen, greater chambers, and a tower.
The palace went into the hands of the King’s second wife, Elisa Henster, who eventually sold it to King Luis, and it was regularly used by the royal family. The last monarch to spend a night at the palace was the last queen of Portugal, Queen Amelia.
