Sintra Palace
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Basic info
Type of attraction
Palace
Portuguese name
Palácio Nacional de Sintra
Tab 2 content.
Tab 2 content.
How to visit
Prices
Palace
Adult (18 to 64): 13,00€
Young (6 to 17): 10,00€
Senior (over 65): 10,00€
Family ticket (2A + 2Y): 35,00€
Free access
- Garden
- Children under 6
Opening times
Palace & Gardens
9:30 am — 6:30 pm (daily)
Last Ticket & 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
Largo Rainha Dona Amélia, 2710-616 Sintra
Public transports
Lisbon > Sintra:
Train (CP) – Sintra Line
Sintra (train station) > National Palace of Sintra:
Bus 434 & 435
Tickets availability
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More details
- Swan Room: the Great Hall of the Palace during the reign of King John I and Queen Philippa of Lancaster. It owes its name to the ceiling panels picturing swans with a crown – emblem of Henry IV of England, brother of Philippa of Lancaster.
- Magpie Room: where mostly the royal hearings took place. The ceiling paintings depict 136 magpies carrying a rose – this one being a symbol of House of Lancaster to which the Queen Philippa of Lancaster was affiliated.
- Coats of Arms Room: displays the coats of arms of the 72 most prestigious households in the realm. Right in the centre of the dome, as a statement of his power, the coats of arms of King Manuel I prevail.
- Chapel: built in 13th century and expanded in 15th. The exquisite Mudejar ceiling is worth seeing.
- The Galley Room: constructed in the reign of King John III. Galleons from Portugal, the Ottoman Empire and the Netherlands are pictured on the ceiling.
- Queen Maria Pia’s Chambers: eight rooms that once served as the chambers of the last queen who resided in the palace.
- Chamber of Afonso VI: after his deposition by the future King Peter II, his brother, this chamber functioned as a prison cell for Afonso VI.
- Chimneys: the two 33-meter tall conical chimneys are undoubtedly emblematic features of Sintra.
- Water Grotto: a secluded outdoor space. Notice the tiny apertures in the walls for water spouts and the ceiling plasterwork.
10th century – First reference to the Palace of Sintra by the moorish geographer Al-Bakrî.
1147 – Conquest of Lisbon by Afonso Henriques. Surrender of the Moors of Sintra.
1281 – A contract between King Dinis and the free Moors of Colares is the first written proof of the existence of a palace in this location.
1287 – King Dinis grants the Palace, the township of Sintra and its adjacent lands to his wife Queen Elizabeth.
1385-1433 – Under the reign of King John I the palace undergoes extensive interventions. The Central Courtyard, the Swan Room and the two conical chimneys derive from this period.
1495-1521 – During the reign of King Manuel I the Palace of Sintra attains remarkable opulence. The Coat of Arms Room, the Eastern Wing, as well as the the decorative hispano-moresque tiles date back to this time.
1521-1557 – Reign of King John III. A new Palace arises, thus linking the main chambers to the northeast wing.
1755 – Lisbon earthquake causes serious damages. The reconstruction works managed to preserve the palace’s outline.
1910 – The National Palace of Sintra is classified as a National Monument.
1930s – Opening to the public.
2012 – Parks of Sintra (Parques de Sintra) takes over the management.
the surroundings
- NewsMuseum (230 m)
- Villa Sassetti (600 m)
- Palace & Quinta da Regaleira (1 km)
- Moorish Castle (1,6 km)
- Miranda Restaurant & Terrace Bar (160 m)
- Becco de Sintra (170 m)
- Tasca do Xico (240 m)
- A Praça (270 m)