Pena Palace – Most Beautiful Castle in Europe
The Pena National Palace in Sintra, was considered in 2015 by EBD as the Most Beautiful Castle in Europe.
Usually called a real Disney Castle, set high on a peak, above Sintra, the multi-hued turrets of Pena National Palace can be seen from Lisbon on a clear day. Pena’s emotional structural planning has arrived it on the UNESCO World Heritage site list and made it one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal and now considered by European Best Destinations as the Most Beautiful Castle in Europe.
Much sooner than Pena was a brilliant royal residence, the ridge was home to a disengaged chapel called Our Lady of Pena, built after the apparittions that took place during the 12th Century. It so roused King Manuel, he had a religious community assembled to house 18 monks and gave it to the Order of Saint Jerome, which happenned later during the Portuguese discoveries period in the Fifteen hundreds.
The Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755 took its toll on the early built monastery but, miraculously, the chapel itself was spared. The site stayed deserted until it got the attention of King consort Ferdinand II, in 1838. He purchased up the old monastery and encompassing grounds, including the parks also around the Castle of the Moors on the neighboring peak.
King Ferdinand had stupendous desire to transform the area into a superb summer retreat for the Portuguese illustrious royal family. The Pena Palace was at long last completed in 1847 with much outline info from Ferdinand and his wife Queen Maria II.
In 1995, Pena Palace was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List as a component of the social scene of Sintra.
The architecture planning of the Pena National Palace, is somehow unique in the world. It’s a mixof Neo-Gothic, Neo-Manueline, Islamic and Neo-Renaissance styles. A true fantasy castle, suitable for all ages and just so close to Lisbon.