Walk with Sandra: Quinta da Regaleira, Sintra, Portugal (August 16, 2014)

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Quinta da Regaleira, Sintra, Portugal (August 16, 2014)

Quinta da Regaleira was quaint and esoteric and its garden design beyond my simple comprehension. There were references to the cosmos and the worlds of mythology that I did not fathom or care for. Still, it was a novelty for me to walk through the underground tunnels and dark labyrinth grottoes and climb up and down the Initiatic Well (including the Unfinished Well) in the garden. The main house was eclectic and decorated with renaissance- and baroque-inspired themes.

Dated back to 1697, the residence changed hands several times before it was bought by the Baronness da Regaleira in 1840 and renamed Quinta da Torre da Regaleira. The property was transformed into a summer retreat with a palatial house and a chapel. In 1893, it was sold at a public auction to Antonio Augusto de Carvalho Monteiro, who added more land to the property. A brilliant mind and successful businessman from Rio de Janeiro, Carvalho Monteiro was a collector and a fan of the sciences and culture. Through him, Quinta da Regaleira was converted into an iconic structure of dream-like fantasy.

The entrance fee was 6 euros per adult; 4 euros per student/teacher. Bring a head-light for the grottoes and wear good shoes for wet and sometimes slippery floors in the tunnels.

Above: Inside the Chapel ~ there were symbols from the Templar Order and its successor in Portugal, the Order of Christ

Above left: The Chapel; Above right: The Main House

Above: Entrance to the Main House

Above: The (hunting) dining room

Above right: Ceiling of the renaissance hall (formerly the drawing room)

Above: The music room

Above right: The king's room (formerly the billiard room)

Above left: The fireplace in the king's room (the coat-of-arms of the town of Sintra today replaced the previous arms of Carvalho Monteiro); Above right: Portraits of Portuguese monarchs (20 kings and 4 queens)

Above right: A portrait of Carvalho Monteiro

Above right: Stairway carved from chestnut trees

Above left: The terrace with eight finials (above the octagonal turret); Above right: A view from the terrace

Above: The sun room

Above: The library

Above: The greenhouse

Above right: Regaleira Tower

Above right: Fountain of Regaleira

Above left: The Grotto of the East ~ entrance to the tunnels that led to the Initiatic Well

Above right: The Initiatic Well ~ a "subterranean tower" that sunk 27 meters into the earth, it represented the relationship between heaven and earth