2024 Portugal: Sintra - Quinta Regaleira, Monserrate Palace

After having mostly sunny days in Porto and our first day in Sintra, the weather gods deserted us and we had to deal with rain on our final two days here.  But considering that just a couple of weeks earlier, most of the Sintra palaces were closed due to threat of forest fire, I guess we should actually consider ourselves lucky!  We woke up to fog and light drizzle on our second morning in Sintra, when we planned to walk for 30 minutes to visit Quinta da Regaleira and then take a taxi to Monserrate Palace and back to our rental.

It was an uphill trek along narrow sidewalks (or sometimes no sidewalks at all) to get to Quinta da Regaleira. This journey was all the more challenging because the rain made the uneven cobblestones wet and slippery.  We tried to stay within protected pedestrian lanes blocked off by pylons to separate us from the vehicular traffic but this was not always possible.  At one point there did not seem enough room for us to safely get past the cars on the road, but a local woman strode confidently forward so we followed her closely and made it through.  Along our path, we saw multiple signs protesting the influx of tourists along with the associated traffic congestion that they caused.  Messages included “Sintra IS NOT Disneyland” and “Sintra: A Traffic Jam in Paradise”.

Having read that the palaces that we planned on exploring were extremely busy tourist attractions, we tried to plan our visits strategically.  To better manage ever-growing crowds, Sintra tourist sites have implemented timed tickets with a cap per time slot. We pre-purchased tickets for the earliest admission time and showed up around 30 minutes prior to that time so that we would be closer the front of the line to get in.  Apparently, this is a trick used by the tour buses since we were never first in line!  Once inside, we would rush to the most popular attraction so that we could see it first before the hoards behind us arrived.  This has worked successfully for us in Amsterdam to view Rembrandt’s “The Night Watch” and in the Detroit Institute of Art to admire Diego Rivera’s Industry murals.

Quinta da Regaleira is a 4-hectare (9.88 acres) estate built on land that was once owned by the Viscountess of Regaleira, matriarch of a wealthy family of merchants from Porto.  The property was sold to Brazilian/Portuguese coffee magnate António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro in 1892.  He hired architect Luigi Manini to design the palace, which was built between 1904-1910 with a unique blend of architectural styles including Neo-Manueline, Gothic, Renaissance and Romanesque along with motifs and symbols that reflected Monteiro’s interests in Freemasonry, the Knights Templar, Rosicrucianism and alchemy.  Also known as “The Palace of Monteiro the Millionaire”, the palace was shrouded in an eerie fog when we arrived, adding to it mysterious, romantic vibe.  Its façade features Gothic pinnacles, gargoyles and an octagonal tower.

When the time came to enter, we had to show our online tickets twice, once to confirm the correct entry time on our tickets and the second to have the bar codes scanned.  Following our strategy and based on Rich’s research, we knew that the “Initiation Well” was not only the most fascinating destination on site, but also the busiest and most susceptible to bottlenecks due to its awkward access, and long lineups could form.  Reluctantly ignoring all the beautiful scenery and architecture along the way, which we could see later, we sprinted up steep hills until we got to the top to arrive at the entrance of the well.  We were rewarded with being one of the first ones there.

The Initiation Well is a not a traditional well for retrieving water.  Despite its name, it is actually a ceremonial tunnel or “inverted tower” that descends 88 feet underground.  It has a gothic stone spiral staircase with 9 flights of stairs, possibly linked to the Knights Templar which had 9 founders, or perhaps a reference to the 9 levels of Hell from Dante’s Infernal.  At the bottom of the well is a stone compass with the Templar cross.  It is believed that Monteiro, a proponent of the Knights Templar, used the well to hold rituals for inducting new members. This included having the inductee traverse blindfolded down the steps of the well while holding a sword to his heart, then walking a dark labyrinth until reaching the Chapel on the property where he would be welcomed into the brotherhood.  It was quite exciting to follow the steps of these intrepid inductees, although thankfully not blindfolded or holding a sword.

Upon moving away from the bottom of the Initiation Well, we found ourselves in the Oriental Grotto, a scenic cave that connects to underground tunnels leading to chambers and stone passageways that eventually leads to Lago da Casata or Waterfall Lake.  This is an artificial lake at the base of a manmade waterfall.  At one time, there were stepping stones that allowed you to traverse the small lake, which sounds extremely dangerous.  I guess the operators of the estate thought so as well, since recently this access has been eliminated so we just admired the view from within the tunnels.

Although we were not able to replicate the complete journey of past Freemason inductees by following the underground tunnels all the way to the estate’s Chapel, we were able to come across it above ground.  The Quinta da Regaleira Chapel is a small Roman Catholic chapel that was built at the same time as the palace.  It has similar architectural influences including Gothic and Renaissance elements as well as elements attributed to the Freemasons and Knights of the Templar.  Manueline carvings are found above the windows and an elaborate stucco sculpture sits above the main entrance as well as a Templar cross attached to the roofline. The interior is decorated with ornate moldings, a beautiful stained-glass window and several frescos including images of Teresa de Vila and Saint Anthony as well as the one over the altar that depicts Jesus crowning the Virgin Mary.  The floor is decorated with depictions of the armillary sphere and the Order of Christ Cross surrounded by pentagrams and pagan sun wheels.  Instead of pews, the little chapel contains individual, beautifully carved wooden chairs.

Having beaten the crowds to traverse the Initiation Well, we were able to take our time to explore the rest of the grounds which consists of a forest-like park with winding roads and footpaths.  We passed by several gorgeous fountains and elaborate sculptures.  The Ibis Fountain is tucked in recessed niche covered with mosaic tiles depicting a set of wading birds amidst tall flowers against a blue background. The Fountain of Abundance features a pair of intertwined dolphins representing fire and light and a circular mosaic pattern that seems to form the letter “M”, perhaps for Monteiro?  An intricately carved bench with Manueline floral designs is flanked by a pair of carved birds that might be Ibises again. Closer to the palace sits the sculpture of a majestic bronze lion created in 1837 by Pierre Louis Rouillard.  While the leaves on most of the trees were still green, we did find one area where the leaves had turned bright red.

Throughout the lush grounds can be found romantic turrets and towers with crenellated tops and jutting balconies, twisty spires, and rounded guard posts.  One of the most impressive is the Regaleira Tower, which has narrow spiral steps leading to the top where you get stunning panoramic views of the surrounding vista and landscaped layout.  Hidden beneath this tower is Leda’s Cave, a subterranean grotto that is part of the complex tunnel system of the property.  Inside is a marble sculpture of the Greek myth of Leda and the Swan, in which Zeus transforms into a swan to seduce Leda, a Spartan queen.

The Terrace of Celestial Worlds is a walled courtyard with a stepped tower or ziggurat in one corner that has a staircase providing access to two platforms.  It is facing the Gate of the Guardians (Portal dos Guardiães), a curved semi-circular wall with a tower at each end. A staircase in the west tower leads to the top where there is a walkway spanning to the east tower.  Hidden entrances provide access to tunnels leading to the Initiation Well.  The area around the gate could be used as an open-air theatre and performance space.  At the base is a fountain adorned with the sculpture of two Tritons guarding a conch shell.

Finally, we had looped our way back to the entrance of the estate and at this point, the rain had subsided and the fog had lifted.  We could actually see the beautiful details of the Palace including the Gothic details including spires, pinnacles, capitals and gargoyles.  The most prominent architectural feature is the impressive Octagonal Tower, said to be inspired by the Templar Convent of Tomar, a former Catholic convent and castle in Tomar, Portugal.  We approached the palace by walking over a bridge and through a grand entrance arch, once again decorated with Manueline features.

The Palace of Quinta da Regaleira has five floors although visitors can only tour the ground and first floor.  The rooms that were on display have been stripped of most of its furniture, possibly while renovations were underway.  This made the experience less impressive as our visit to the interior of the Sintra National Palace the day before, although the architectural details were still impressive. The first room that we saw was the dining room, also known as the “Hunting Room” because of the gorgeous marble fireplace with carvings of hunting scenes, topped by the figure of a huntsman which is said to be a reference to the owner Carvalho Monteiro himself.  The colourful polychrome Venetian mosaic floor depicts scenes of nature and wildlife including birds and wolves.  Ornate Corinthian columns are topped with more sculptures of hunters and their dogs.  The King’s Room is lined with the portraits of 20 Kings and 4 Queens of Portugal as well as four coats of arms representing the cities of Braga, Coimbra, Lisbon and Porto that sit on top of the wallpaper.  Also known as the Billiards Room, it once housed a billiards table which has been removed, but the ornate overhead light for the table is still there.  In place of any furniture, the room contains informational plaques describing the various royalty and displaying a photograph of how the room was once decorated.

The Music Room was a place for the women to gather and enjoy listening to music played on instruments.  When we visited, there were no musical instruments in this room but it was beautifully decorated with Rococo-styled frescos on the wall that reminded us of Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s works.  The gorgeous chestnut-wood ceiling was intricately carved and featured a chandelier dangling from the centre.  The elongated Renaissance room was once the Living Room and is decorated in Renaissance style with an oak wood coffered ceiling and a wood-paneled recess at one end where some photos on the internet showed there might once have been a piano. While the Music Room was primarily for the ladies, the Smoking Room, which was connected to the Billiards Room, was reserved exclusively for men to smoke, chat and play cards or board games.  It has since been renamed the Carvalho Monteiro Room and often hosts exhibitions honoring Monteiro.

While it was unfortunate that the rooms we saw were mostly stripped of their furniture and paintings, there were still some impressive architectural features to look at.  I was particularly taken with the ceilings which were often decorated with intricate wood carvings and decorations.  Some of the flooring was inlaid with marquetry patterns and I loved the elaborate door knockers in the shapes of lion heads or the bronze heads attached to some of the doors.

Our final stop before leaving Quinta da Regaleira was the Labyrinth Grotto which leads to another tunnel that meanders until it exits at another small manmade lake.  Unlike the tunnels leading out from the Initiation Well, this tunnel was totally dark and dank with puddles and dripping water from the previous rain.  We had to use the flashlights on our cell phones to see where we were going, although occasionally there was an opening where we could peek out into the lake and where we even saw a few ducks. This was supposed to be a spiritual journey from darkness to light or a “path from symbolic death to rebirth”, reflecting the esoteric and Masonic symbolism that Monteiro endorsed.  It was an eerie experience and a cool way to finish off our tour of the estate.

When we finally emerged from the darkness, we found ourselves in a beautiful area full of statues and a few more gorgeous benches.  One had a pair of figures holding up chalices while reclining lions flanked them on either side.  Another depicted a standing youth with seated dogs on either side of him.  At this point, it had started to drizzle again and we were running late since we still had a second palace to visit.  We missed an entire section of the huge property including the sculptures lining the “Promenade of the Gods” and some more grottos.  Had it been a nicer day and if we had not planned another stop, we could have easily spent another few hours in this magical place.

When we first arrived in Sintra, we asked whether we could easily hail a taxi to take us from Quinta da Regaleria to Monserrate Palace and were assured that we could.  But when we were ready to leave, we did not see any taxis lined up in front of building, or even any taxis driving by despite watching the traffic flow by for a few minutes.  Not sure what to do, we decided that we would walk back to the main road to see if there were taxis waiting there.  But just as we exited Quinta, the number 435 bus pulled up and just happened to be on the route that would take us to Monserrate.  It was starting to rain harder at this point so we gratefully jumped onto the bus and at the bus driver’s suggestion, we paid for round trip tickets that would take us to Monserrate and then later, back to the Sintra train station, saving ourselves several Euros over separately paying the fare each way.

Monserrate Palace is a 19th century palatial villa set in the hills of Serra de Sintra, located 4km west of the historic centre.  The estate is comprised of 80 acres of land with a variety of landscaping including classical English, Mexican and other gardens, featuring exotic trees, plants and vegetation from around the world including Mexico, Japan and Australia. There is a large park designed in romantic style with a lake, several springs and fountains, and grottoes.  The property passed through various owners through the centuries and was even visited by Lord Byron, until it was purchased in 1863 by British trader and art collector Sir Francis Cook who commissioned the construction of a palace designed by architect James Knowles to serve as his family’s summer retreat.  Unfortunately, we did not have the 2-3 hours that it would have taken to explore the entire grounds so we headed towards the palace which we caught sight of as we first approached. It is about a 15-minute walk from the front entrance of the property to the palace, traversing through forested areas and over steep hills.  Along the way, we passed by Beckford Waterfall, which was created through the construction of two man-made ponds whose waters were allowed to flow naturally down geological formations to generate a waterfall.

In addition to the palace, Cook requested the creation of artificial ruins of a chapel (Runas da Capela de Monserrate) designed to look ancient and overgrown with trees and vines planted to drape the structure. This was to add to the ideals of Romanticism popular at the time and perhaps as a tribute to the original Chapel of Our Lady that once stood on the property in the 1500s.  Today, this space can be rented out for weddings and events.  Another ornamental feature on the property is the Indian Arch, acquired by Cook from the Governor-General of India following the Rebellion of 1857.  Decorative planter boxes and a water feature seem to complement the arch and the design of the palace with designs influenced by Indian and Moorish patterns.

Dubbed the “Viscount of Monserrate”, Sir Francis Cook designed his palace in a combination of Romanticism and Mudéjar Moorish Revival architectural styles with neo-Gothic, Indian, Arabic, Islamic and Moorish influences.  The elaborate and ornate structure consists of a long, central building, which is topped with a red octagonal dome, flanked symmetrically on either side by a cylindrical domed tower.  The façades are decorated with fine lattice stone carvings and geometric patterns that carry on into the interior.  We could see the Gothic elements including pointed arches and ornamentation, and Moorish influences in the intricate tilework and decorative patterns inspired by Islamic art.  Once we got to the palace, we were too close to see the entire breadth of the magnificent building, especially since the grand entrance was at the end of the South tower.  It was not until we inspected a scaled model of the palace that we could see its full grandeur. As we approached the entrance, we admired the Triton fountain with large sea creatures at the base.

Entering into the Main Hall, we are able to see the red octagonal dome from the inside.  The cupola allows natural light to flow through producing a beautiful a pink hue, creating interesting shadow patterns on the walls which are covered with ornate plasterwork and foliage motifs.  Under the dome is a floral-shaped fountain with a Carrera marble sculpture of a female bather on top.  Three long corridors lead to various rooms within the palace or provide paths to the palace towers.  Each corridor is made up of a repeating succession of Arabesque arches with patterns of intricate lattice carvings, rose-coloured marble Corinthian columns and arcades. The repetition projects the illusion of depth.  One of the corridors has a set of recesses holding marble sculptures that may have been part of Cook’s extensive art collection.  Another allows you to see right through to the outer terrace and garden.  Decorative motifs reflect the beautiful grounds outside with depictions of leaves, stems, flowers and birds.

The Library Room has a magnificient walnut door covered with a carving of a hunting scene featuring Diana, Goddess of the Hunt as well as angels, stags and hunters with bows and arrows.  Several walls in the room are covered with floor-to-ceiling wooden book shelves, three large Neo-Gothic arched windows with Moorish designs at their peaks, and a central chandelier hanging from an ornate canopy with more lace-like designs.  Cook used this room as his office which is why it is the only room in the palace with a door.  With all the dark wood on the walls, the Library is darker that the rest of the palace where the many of the rooms are decorated with a brighter pinkish-peach hue.  Arches are a dominant style used for some windows that look like typical Gothic-styled lancet windows but have an Islamic patterns under the pointed arches. Each subsequent room that we entered had its own unique splendor with beautiful patterns on the floors, walls and ceilings.  One room, possibly the Billiards Room had a gorgeous floral pattern spanning the entire floor.

The Sitting Room was an informal space where the family could gather and is one of the few rooms that still has furniture in it, although not the original furnishings. The Anglo-Indian furniture decorating this room would be representative of the same era and style as what the Cooks had.  The most impressive room in the palace is the circular Music Room which sits in the North Tower with a domed ceiling made of stucco featuring intricate lattice work and fine rosettes.  Encircling the base of the cupola are busts of the Apollo, Greek God of Music, the muses and graces, as well as Saint Ceclia, patron saint of music.  Although almost totally devoid of furnishings, a piano sits in this room.

The Dining Room was considered a solemn and ceremonial space for mealtimes and once had an awning suspended over the dining table to soften the echos of conversations.  A Serving Area where tableware was stored was connected to the dining room and had a service lift to transport food from the kitchen located on the floor below.  This lift is still operational today.  Located in the basement, the large Kitchen is separated into two main sections; one for the cooking of hot meals with an enormous stove, and the other for prepation of cold dishes such as salads and desserts.  A food pantry and wine cellar was tucked under the stairway.

A spectacular marble staircase adorned with an ivy leaf pattern leads up to the upper floor where the private bedrooms once resided.  Today this area has been turned into an information and interpretation area with details about the Cook family and the history of the estate.  From the second floor, you can get an even closer view of main cupola over the grand hall entrance.

Following our tour of the palace, we stopped by the Monserrate Tea House which offers sweet and savoury snacks as well as coffee and cold drinks. Located in the old stables within the property, we were able to rest our feet and get a quick snack before heading back to our rental apartment.  We would have considered checking out more of the grounds and gardens but it started to rain again.  Exiting the estate, we found the bus stop that would take us back to the Old Town.  Possibly because of the rain, we waited quite a while for the bus to arrive and were tempted by tuktuk drivers who offered to take us instead.  We might have considered it had we not already paid for a return ticket for the bus. Also, the tuktuks looked rather flimsy and dangerous for traversing the steep sharp corners on the slick cobblestones.  The bus eventually came and we made it safely back to town.