A fairyland and a story that is worth telling…

Sintra at the beginning of the year 1900…the last days of the Portuguese monarchy. A piece of land that belonged to the barons of Regaleira gets a new owner, the rich António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro. And as any new owner who is self-respecting, Monteiro (also known as “Monteiro, the Millionaire”) turned this estate into a unique, magical property, a remarkable combination of Italian influences (the brand of the architect Luigi Manini) with many symbols having special semiotics: symbols related to Masonry, alchemy or the Knights Templars` world.

Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra is truly a genuine, manueline jewelry with extremely intricate and carefully worked out, gothic and Renaissance details: only take a look at the gargoyles and the capitals on the façade; they`re incredible, aren`t they?
The palace has five floors and…it`s difficult to count… the rooms, and the gardens cover an area of 4 hectares, being absolutely charming, as most of those existing in this marvelous, little village. The gardens have hidden tunnels and fairy wells and the whole estate is worth visiting for a couple of hours, or, for those who stay in Sintra for a longer period of time, they should go for a leisurely stroll, at least one day.

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