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Close look of the Palace of Pena in Sintra (from IPPAR) FROM THE RUINS A PALACE FROM THE FABLES IS BORN When the Earthquake of 1755 devasted Lisbon and all the surrounding region, the convent of the Pena fell in ruins. But the Chapel, with magnificent retable in marble and alabaster attributed to Nicholas of Chanterenne, remained unbroken. These ruins, on top of the steep mountains of Sintra, had astonished the young prince D. Fernando. In 1838 , he decided to acquire the old convent, and all the fence involving, the surrounding ''Castle of Mouros'' (Castle of Moors) and other quintas (farms) and bushes. Thus, he gave a beginning to his romantic dream: to reconstruct the old convent and to annex a new part to it for complement of this summer residence of the Portuguese Royal Family. He also thought ordering to plant an English style park, with the most varied, exotic and rich species of trees. By this, the Park and Palace of Pena are seen as from a book of enchanted princes and princess'. The Palace, itself, has a profusion of styles and the volume movement have an unusual architecture. Almost all the Palace seats in enormous rocks, and the mixture of styles that exhibits (neo-gothic, neo-Manueline, neo-Islamic, neo-renaissance, among other styles) are all intentional, in the 19th century people used to like what was exotic. The set of the diverse sentry boxes, of the most varied forms and shapes, the uneven terraces, covered with tiles in neo-Hispanic-Arabic style are significant elements. The adaptation of the window of the Convent Of Christ in Tomar, in the side of the Pátio dos Arcos and the notable figure of the Triton , symbolizing, according to some authors, the Creation of the World, are basic details in the interpretation of this Palace. THE INTERIOR OF THE PALACE The interiors of the Palace of Pena were adapted to for use as the summer residence of the royal family. It has excellent works in ''estuque'', painted walls in ''trompe-l'oeil'' and various revetments in tile from the 19th century, forming part of the numerous royal collections. THE PALACE TODAY Today, The Palace of Pena is open to the general public and is part of the World Heritage Site that is the Cultural Landscape of Sintra. ''See also'': Monuments Of Portugal - History Of Portugal - Timeline Of Portuguese History - List Of Portuguese Monarchs REFERENCES
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