It is located in Serra de Sintra, parish of São Pedro de Penaferrim, municipality of Sintra, Central Portugal
The castle stands on top of a hill in the Serra de Sintra, above the town of Sintra, and on clear days it can be easily seen from Lisbon and much of its metropolitan area.
The Pena National Palace is one of the greatest expressions of 19th century Romanticism in the world, and we are faced with one of the rare Portuguese royal houses that still maintains all of its original assets, furniture and accessories intact.
The colorful tones of the palace, the highest exponent of Romanticism in Portugal and the eternal work of D. Fernando II, King-Artist, open doors to the imagination of all who arrive there, and the infinite shades of green that paint the surrounding park constitute an idyllic setting, often under the veil of the characteristic fog of the Sintra mountains.
The Palácio da Pena has a profusion of styles very much in line with the exotic taste of Romanticism, the intentional mix of eclectic styles includes Neo-Gothic, Neo-Manueline, Neo-Islamic and Neo-Renaissance.
The Palace stands on rock in the Serra de Sintra and is structurally divided into four sections: the foundations and its surrounding walls with two doors (one of which is protected by a drawbridge), the restored structure of the former convent and the clock tower, the Pátio dos Arcos in front of the chapel with its wall of Moorish arches, the palatial area and its cylindrical bastion with interiors decorated in cathedral style.
The various rooms (26 in total) are beautifully decorated, featuring almost all known materials and decorative styles, which make us relive that bygone era.
The interiors of the Pena Palace were adapted to serve as a summer residence for the royal family, it has impressive stuccowork, walls painted in trompe-l''''''''oeil, various tile coverings from the 19th century and are part of the numerous royal collections.
In the so-called “Noble Hall”, composed of geometric motifs of clear Arabic influence with vegetal motifs, the neo-Gothic chandelier in gilded bronze, the four large sculptures of Turks in “andiroba” wood, which support chandeliers, the 19th century buffets, the Fábrica do Rato aquarium and the beautiful Carlos medieval touch.
The new architectural space consists of a series of uneven terraces, spiral staircases, several guardhouses, arches, walkways and corridors that give us access to the rooms that are spread out, accidentally and asymmetrically according to the romantic ideal.
The entrance to the Palace is through a courtyard of small Arabizing arches ending in an upper finish with a distinct Egyptian flavor.
The door is decorated with stone cushions, two cast iron vases (typical of the 19th century and clearly influenced by Eiffel) representing graceful Greek mythological scenes.
In the background you can see two flights of stairs that form a U, standing out between them and on a wooden base, the bust of the Artist King behind the pedestal, the “Royal Pavilion” used by D. Pedro V hangs from the handrail.
At the top of the stairs, we come across the 16th century cloister of the Convent of Nossa Senhora da Pena, completely restored by D. Fernando II and with in the center a giant stone shell resting and supported by four turtles, emanating an arboreal fern, suggesting to us the romantic interpretation of plant life sprouting from the marine world.
The pantry that precedes the Royal Family's dining room is filled with a huge wooden cabinet filled with porcelain and crystal, featuring cut-out Limoges-Haviland pieces bearing the Portuguese Royal Crown.
Access to the dining room located in the former refectory of the Hieronymite monks consists of furniture in national style, the elegant table set for twelve people and covered in magnificent Brussels lace.
The centerpiece, representing a caravel held by Nymphs and Neptunus, consists of a beautiful piece of 19th century French goldsmithery attributed to Froment Meurice and Louis Aucoc, which constitutes the most important decorative element here.
The window at the back shows Swiss lace curtains, in front of it on a column you can see the beautiful fan-shaped arrangement of plumage, on the floor the Turkish carpet occupies a large part of the space.
In King D. Carlos' chambers you can see seven unfinished paintings of his own design, representing love scenes where Nymphs and Fauns engage in passionate races, collecting glass and mugs.
In the subsequent compartment (D. Carlos' rest room) you can see Empire furniture with a four-poster bed where wood and bronze interconnect harmoniously.
Its decoration always includes elegant divans, ottomans, bathtubs covered with satin wood, taps in the shape of stylized birds and swans, countless bottles of oriental perfumes that completely fill some shelves.
Queen D. Amélia's room includes exceptional stucco work with geometric motifs, giving us the impression of finding ourselves in an Islamic room.
The two vault clasps represent the royal weapons of D. Maria II and the King-Consort, those of D. Carlos and D. Amélia.
The bobbin and rosewood bed (18th century) has a canopy and cover, silver candlesticks, Turkish rugs, and Companhia das Indias crockery. French porcelain, Bohemian crystal, Galehaut lamps and the phenomenal Art Nouveau gomil.
The adjacent dressing room consists of a small room lined with rosewood where you can see capes, fans and other accessories.
The Queen's dressing room is also completely decorated in the style of the time, with mahogany furniture and a circular cloakroom.
In the Royal Family's private living room, what catches our attention the most is the set of polychrome Meissen porcelains, the geometric parietal stuccos, the 18th century coffee pot, the female sculpture by E. Barrias with characteristics somewhat close to Art Nouveau, the 19th century counter, the Arabized armchairs suggesting minarets, the fruit bowl with a high railing with two handles in Companhia das Indias, the countless family portraits, the wooden piano rosewood and Columbano's Charity, which gives this room an overloaded, distinctly romantic ambiance.
The remaining rooms and apartments of the Palácio da Pena (D. Manuel II's rooms, “Sala de Saxe”, “Sala dos Deer”, etc.) are decorated with exotic furniture and are characterized by a romantic taste identical to that of the other rooms.
Parque da Pena is a vast forested area that completely surrounds Palácio da Pena, extending over more than 200 hectares of uneven terrain.
The park was created at the same time as the palace by King Ferdinand II who was assisted in the task by Baron von Eschwege and Baron von Kessler.
The exotic taste of Romanticism was applied to the park with fountains, waterfalls, chalets, bridges, pergolas, chapels that transform this complex into an authentic paradigmatic emblem of European Romanticism.
The king ordered that trees from diverse distant lands be planted there included: North American redwood, Lawson's cypress, magnolia and western red cedar, Chinese ginkgo, cryptomeria japonica, a wide variety of ferns and tree ferns from Australia and New Zealand concentrated in the Queen's Fern Garden.
The park has a labyrinthine system of paths and narrow roads connecting the palace to the various points of interest throughout the park and its two closed exits.
The Pena National Palace is one of the greatest expressions of 19th century Romanticism in the world, and we are faced with one of the rare Portuguese royal houses that still maintains all of its original assets, furniture and accessories intact.
The colorful tones of the palace, the highest exponent of Romanticism in Portugal and the eternal work of D. Fernando II, King-Artist, open doors to the imagination of all who arrive there, and the infinite shades of green that paint the surrounding park constitute an idyllic setting, often under the veil of the characteristic fog of the Sintra mountains.
The Palácio da Pena has a profusion of styles very much in line with the exotic taste of Romanticism, the intentional mix of eclectic styles includes Neo-Gothic, Neo-Manueline, Neo-Islamic and Neo-Renaissance.
The Palace stands on rock in the Serra de Sintra and is structurally divided into four sections: the foundations and its surrounding walls with two doors (one of which is protected by a drawbridge), the restored structure of the former convent and the clock tower, the Pátio dos Arcos in front of the chapel with its wall of Moorish arches, the palatial area and its cylindrical bastion with interiors decorated in cathedral style.
The various rooms (26 in total) are beautifully decorated, featuring almost all known materials and decorative styles, which make us relive that bygone era.
The interiors of the Pena Palace were adapted to serve as a summer residence for the royal family, it has impressive stuccowork, walls painted in trompe-l''''''''oeil, various tile coverings from the 19th century and are part of the numerous royal collections.
In the so-called “Noble Hall”, composed of geometric motifs of clear Arabic influence with vegetal motifs, the neo-Gothic chandelier in gilded bronze, the four large sculptures of Turks in “andiroba” wood, which support chandeliers, the 19th century buffets, the Fábrica do Rato aquarium and the beautiful Carlos medieval touch.
The new architectural space consists of a series of uneven terraces, spiral staircases, several guardhouses, arches, walkways and corridors that give us access to the rooms that are spread out, accidentally and asymmetrically according to the romantic ideal.
The entrance to the Palace is through a courtyard of small Arabizing arches ending in an upper finish with a distinct Egyptian flavor.
The door is decorated with stone cushions, two cast iron vases (typical of the 19th century and clearly influenced by Eiffel) representing graceful Greek mythological scenes.
In the background you can see two flights of stairs that form a U, standing out between them and on a wooden base, the bust of the Artist King behind the pedestal, the “Royal Pavilion” used by D. Pedro V hangs from the handrail.
At the top of the stairs, we come across the 16th century cloister of the Convent of Nossa Senhora da Pena, completely restored by D. Fernando II and with in the center a giant stone shell resting and supported by four turtles, emanating an arboreal fern, suggesting to us the romantic interpretation of plant life sprouting from the marine world.
The pantry that precedes the Royal Family's dining room is filled with a huge wooden cabinet filled with porcelain and crystal, featuring cut-out Limoges-Haviland pieces bearing the Portuguese Royal Crown.
Access to the dining room located in the former refectory of the Hieronymite monks consists of furniture in national style, the elegant table set for twelve people and covered in magnificent Brussels lace.
The centerpiece, representing a caravel held by Nymphs and Neptunus, consists of a beautiful piece of 19th century French goldsmithery attributed to Froment Meurice and Louis Aucoc, which constitutes the most important decorative element here.
The window at the back shows Swiss lace curtains, in front of it on a column you can see the beautiful fan-shaped arrangement of plumage, on the floor the Turkish carpet occupies a large part of the space.
In King D. Carlos' chambers you can see seven unfinished paintings of his own design, representing love scenes where Nymphs and Fauns engage in passionate races, collecting glass and mugs.
In the subsequent compartment (D. Carlos' rest room) you can see Empire furniture with a four-poster bed where wood and bronze interconnect harmoniously.
Its decoration always includes elegant divans, ottomans, bathtubs covered with satin wood, taps in the shape of stylized birds and swans, countless bottles of oriental perfumes that completely fill some shelves.
Queen D. Amélia's room includes exceptional stucco work with geometric motifs, giving us the impression of finding ourselves in an Islamic room.
The two vault clasps represent the royal weapons of D. Maria II and the King-Consort, those of D. Carlos and D. Amélia.
The bobbin and rosewood bed (18th century) has a canopy and cover, silver candlesticks, Turkish rugs, and Companhia das Indias crockery. French porcelain, Bohemian crystal, Galehaut lamps and the phenomenal Art Nouveau gomil.
The adjacent dressing room consists of a small room lined with rosewood where you can see capes, fans and other accessories.
The Queen's dressing room is also completely decorated in the style of the time, with mahogany furniture and a circular cloakroom.
In the Royal Family's private living room, what catches our attention the most is the set of polychrome Meissen porcelains, the geometric parietal stuccos, the 18th century coffee pot, the female sculpture by E. Barrias with characteristics somewhat close to Art Nouveau, the 19th century counter, the Arabized armchairs suggesting minarets, the fruit bowl with a high railing with two handles in Companhia das Indias, the countless family portraits, the wooden piano rosewood and Columbano's Charity, which gives this room an overloaded, distinctly romantic ambiance.
The remaining rooms and apartments of the Palácio da Pena (D. Manuel II's rooms, “Sala de Saxe”, “Sala dos Deer”, etc.) are decorated with exotic furniture and are characterized by a romantic taste identical to that of the other rooms.
Parque da Pena is a vast forested area that completely surrounds Palácio da Pena, extending over more than 200 hectares of uneven terrain.
The park was created at the same time as the palace by King Ferdinand II who was assisted in the task by Baron von Eschwege and Baron von Kessler.
The exotic taste of Romanticism was applied to the park with fountains, waterfalls, chalets, bridges, pergolas, chapels that transform this complex into an authentic paradigmatic emblem of European Romanticism.
The king ordered that trees from diverse distant lands be planted there included: North American redwood, Lawson's cypress, magnolia and western red cedar, Chinese ginkgo, cryptomeria japonica, a wide variety of ferns and tree ferns from Australia and New Zealand concentrated in the Queen's Fern Garden.
The park has a labyrinthine system of paths and narrow roads connecting the palace to the various points of interest throughout the park and its two closed exits.
The Classification of the Pena National Park and Palace
The palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal which is also used on official occasions by the President of the Portuguese Republic and other government officials.
