Palacio Nacional, Sintra
The site of the Palacio Nacional was originally the location of an Arab palace at the time of Moorish control of Iberia in the 10th century. With the expulsion of the Moors in the 12th century it became the a residence of the Portuguese royal family - used especially during the summer when the court in Lisbon was stiflingly hot, or during outbreaks of plague.
The palace's current appearance is the result of the successive building programmes undertaken on behalf of the kings Dinis (1261-1325), João I (1356-1433) and Manuel I (1469-1521). It was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site along with Sintra's other monuments in 1995.
Palacio Nacional, Sintra
The site of the Palacio Nacional was originally the location of an Arab palace at the time of Moorish control of Iberia in the 10th century. With the expulsion of the Moors in the 12th century it became the a residence of the Portuguese royal family - used especially during the summer when the court in Lisbon was stiflingly hot, or during outbreaks of plague.
The palace's current appearance is the result of the successive building programmes undertaken on behalf of the kings Dinis (1261-1325), João I (1356-1433) and Manuel I (1469-1521). It was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site along with Sintra's other monuments in 1995.