Monserrate Palace & Park
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Basic info
Type of attraction
Park & Palace
Portuguese name
Parque e Palácio de Monserrate
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How to visit
Prices
Palace & Park
Adult (18 to 64): 12,00€
Young (6 to 17): 10,00€
Senior (over 65): 10,00€
Family ticket (2A + 2Y): 33,00€
Free access
- Children under 6
Opening times
Palace
9:30 am — 6 pm (daily)
Last Ticket – 5 pm
Last Admission – 5:30 pm
Park
9 am — 7 pm (daily)
Last Ticket: 5:30 pm
Last Admission: 6 pm
Ticket Office closed: 12 pm – 1 pm
Automatic ticket vending machine available.
Closing days
December 24, 25, 31 & January 1
Location
Estrada de Monserrate, 2710-405 Sintra
Public transports
Lisbon > Sintra:
Train (CP) – Sintra Line
Sintra (train station) > Monserrate:
Bus 1253 (Carris)
Bus 435 (Scotturb)
Tickets availability
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More details
- Sacred Art Room: displays various religious artworks collected by Francis Cook. John Charles Rossi’s portrayal of Saint Anthony is one of the most notable pieces.
- Main Hall: an octagonal-shaped atrium where adorning foliage patterns stand out. The ambiance is enhanced by the sound of water emanating from a central fountain and by the natural light scattered through the dome.
- Gallery: a corridor lined with arches that links the various chambers and towers of the palace. It is notable for its moorish-patterned stucco reliefs.
- Library: used by its owners as a working office. Worth noticing: its lavish walnut door; the decorative weapons; the discreet style of wall bookshelves.
- Dining Room: a tribute to ceremonial dignity. Features a still functional dumbwaiter.
- Music Room: the grand reception hall of the palace where musical performances took place. Adorning the base of the dome we can see busts depicting Apollo and Saint Cecilia (the patron saint of music).
- Beckford’s Waterfall
- Vathek’s Arch: a stone arch, bearing the name of a character from William Beckford’s renowned novel “Vathek”.
- Fern Valley: an impressive array of arboreal ferns, hailing from Australia and New Zealand.
- Chapel: an artificial ruin designed by Francis Cook, now intimately intertwined with the adjacent Australian rubber tree.
- Japanese Garden: where bamboos, camellia plants and rhododendrons stand out.
- Mexican Garden: an assortment of plants native to warm climates, including palms, nolinas, yuccas and agaves.
- Farmyard of Monserrate
1540 – Friar Gaspar Preto, rector of the All Saints Hospital of Lisbon, orders the building of a hermitage dedicated to Our Lady of Monserrate.
1718 – Caetano de Mello e Castro (the Viceroy of India) acquires the Monserrate estate.
1755 – The Lisbon earthquake wreaks havoc on the location.
1789 – Gerard of Visme, a British merchant, leases the site and commissions the construction of a neogothic castle.
1793 – British author William Beckford, the new resident of Monserrate, carries out extensive restoration and enhancement projects on the estate.
1809 – The famous romantic poet Lord Byron visits Monserrate, which inspires him in the writing of the poem “Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage”.
1846 – Francis Cook, a British merchant, acquires the Monserrate estate and is bestowed the title of 1st Viscount of Monserrate. He initiates the construction of a palace amalgamating gothic and indian architectural elements with hints of moorish influence.
1949 – Portuguese authorities took ownership of both the estate and its palace.
1995 – Monserrate is included within the Sintra Cultural Landscape, designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
2000 – Parks of Sintra (Parques de Sintra) takes over the management. Wide-ranging restoration and improvement works take place.
2010 – Reopening of the palace.
the surroundings
- Palace & Quinta da Regaleira (3,1 km)
- Convent of the Capuchos (3,3 km)
- Villa Sassetti (3,9 km)
- Park & National Palace of Pena (5,3 km)
- Monserrate Tea House
10 am – 5:30 pm - Villa 6 (3,8 km)
- Bristol (3,8 km)
- Romaria de Baco (4,1 km)