12 Fascinating Pena Palace Facts You Should Know

The polychromatic Pena Palace looks like a fantasyland atop the Sintra Mountains. Painted in bright yellow and crimson red coupled with shades of blue tiles, a deep cornflower blue rooftop, and a light white stone ledge, it’s one of the most romantic monuments to exist.

The Islamic twist inspired by cornflower blue tiles with a tinge of yellow periwinkle makes it gaze-worthy. This palace is the perfect amalgamation of Neo-Gothic, Neo-Manueline, Neo-Moorish, and Islamic styles. This dreamy palace is reminiscent of the extravagant castle of Ludwig of Bavaria.

The Pena Palace is a masterpiece that was designed with precision in a decade. The entrance is decorated with spheres with its arch displaying interlacing serpents. The interiors of the palace were designed mostly in Victorian and Edwardian Styles.

The Great Hall or the Billiards Room is the largest space in the Pena Palace, and the gold-plated brass 72-candle chandelier, 4 petroleum lamps, and torch-holder candelabras reveal its Gothic style. The kitchen comprises all kinds of utensils and culinary equipment and the stained glass of the chapel reveals artistic intentions and political legitimacy.

The Palace was built only as a summer residence for the monarchs. However, King Ferdinand II extended it into a boutique palace comprising huge spacious rooms, towers, a drawbridge, parapet paths, and an access tunnel.

The positioning of the palace and the surroundings made it a perfect escape during the summers. After King Ferdinand II, Carlos I and his Queen resided in the Pena Palace but only for a partial summer and then moved to the Citadel of Cascais. Prince Manuel II, the successor of Carlos I, also resided in the Pena Palace.

The Pena Palace, one of the seven wonders of Portugal, is simply mesmerizing. With its rich history, from a chapel to a monastery to a Disney-like castle, the Pena Palace became the National Monument of Portugal in 1910.

The Pena Palace was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. In 2013, the National Palace of Pena became a member of the European Royal Residence Network. In 2020, the Pena Park and the Pena Palace were integrated into the European Route of Historic Gardens, becoming one of the 40 Certified Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe.

Portugal’s national income depends heavily upon the tourism industry. Anyone visiting Sintra has the Pena Palace on their bucket list. The Pena Palace has an average footfall of around 18 to 20 million people every year.

The Pena Palace and the Pena Park attract and invite people to buy their tickets in advance and experience its magnificence hassle-free. The National Palace of Pena has been conserved and restored multiple times to preserve its romanticism and its scintillating beauty. One can enjoy this scenic beauty all by oneself or can be accompanied by a tour guide.

The palace got its first taste of pop culture in 2010 when the Mexico Embassy inaugurated the Garden of Mexico. In 2011, the Chalet and Garden of Condessa d'Edla were inaugurated with an open concert in which the Countess sang arias. After recovery, the Rose Garden in Monserrate Park was inaugurated by Their Royal Highnesses, The Prince of Wales, and The Duchess of Cornwall.

In 2017, the first virtual Portuguese-produced video mapping concert was projected on the exterior facade of the National Palace of Queluz. In 2021, the Lagos e Fontes route was inaugurated along with the revision of the hydraulic system, which allowed for the rehabilitation of the scenic effect of the games of water characteristic of eighteenth-century gardens.

The Pena Palace has a long series of stories. The castle was built on the site of a medieval chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary called ‘Our Lady of Pena’. Due to the apparition of the Virgin Mary, this site gained religious importance.

To honor the call of the Virgin Mary, the chapel was built on the hill, subsequently, many pilgrims visited the palace. Due to its magnificence, the King decided to build a sanctuary, a building of a monastery that was later donated to the Order of Saint Jerome. The monastery witnessed damages due to natural calamities after which it was transformed into The Pena Palace.

The Pena Palace fell to despair after the death of Queen Amelie in 1951. In 2000, Parques de Sintra undertook the work for constant restoration and renovation of the palace. In 2007, the management of the Pena Palace was entrusted to Parques de Sintra.

The restoration of the Palace of Monserrate in 2010 was helped by the EEA Grants fund. The Chalet and Garden of Condessa d'Edla reopened in 2011 after the restoration and recovery process was complete. In 2012, the Pena Palace recovered its vibrant colors and in 2014, the Great Hall of Pena was inaugurated after 3 years of the restoration process.