Sintra Portugal, Palácio da Pena

[Panther]

Howdy All,

What a beautiful and wonderful place to shoot.


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On the highest hilltop the pseudo medieval Pena Palace (Palacio or Castelo da Pena) with a 270 hectare large garden is situated. This marvellous fairy tale castle was begun in 1840 as a royal summer residence on behalf of the German Prince Consort of Queen Maria II, Ferdinand of Saxonia Coburg-Gotha and is the most important example of Portuguese architecture in the Romantic period. It is also called the ‘Portuguese Neuschwanstein’ – in fact - a very fitting comparison

info by www.sights-and-culture.com

[schmoo]

Thanks for sharing, Craig! I haven't visited the original Neuschwanstein in the flesh (yet) but this certainly looks like a warmer, more colorful cousin. I'm really stunned by the lovely choices of blues, yellows, and reds. :thumb

[Glenn NK]

Very interesting images.

At one time, Spain was inhabited by the Moors, and the architecture in these images seems to have some Moorish influence, notably in the tower (minaret?), the archway in No.1 and No.3, and the tilework in No.4.

These particular elements don't seem Germanic to me.

[Panther]

Thanks for sharing, Craig! I haven't visited the original Neuschwanstein in the flesh (yet) but this certainly looks like a warmer, more colorful cousin. I'm really stunned by the lovely choices of blues, yellows, and reds. :thumb

Howdy Schmoo,

Thanks for the kind reply and comments.

It was indeed a wonderfully magic place.

[Panther]

Very interesting images.

At one time, Spain was inhabited by the Moors, and the architecture in these images seems to have some Moorish influence, notably in the tower (minaret?), the archway in No.1 and No.3, and the tilework in No.4.

These particular elements don't seem Germanic to me.

Howdy Glenn,

The Moorish influence that you noticed is all through Portugal, especially in some special cities like Obidos, and down in the Algarve(Southern) region.

Here's what Frommer's had to say about the Ruins that the Pena Palace overlooks.


Frommer's Review
The Castle of the Moors was built sometime between the 8th and 9th centuries in a position 412m (1,351 ft.) above sea level. In 1147, Scandinavian crusaders besieged and captured it from its Moorish occupants. Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the royal consort responsible for Pena palace , attempted to restore the castle in the 19th century. He was relatively unsuccessful.