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Sintra Mountains

Indexed heritage as a fundamental value of the Sintra Cultural Landscape

The entrance of Quinta da Penha Verde is preceded by a manneerly portico by a pediment topped with the Castro's stone of arms, which is superimposed, as a leaked eyepiece. It is followed by a small eighteenth-century living garden that frames and precedes the mansion. The palace is inserted - despite its formal classicism - in the context of the aulic architecture of vernacular root. Its current plant results, however, from several campaigns of works carried out there, either by D. Álvaro de Castro, still in the sixteenth century, wants, above all, in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries that absorbed the small house erected by D. João de Castro, around 1535.

Throughout the property, a true locus amoenus where nature overlaps architecture, a space conducive to the pleasure and simplicity of country life was created, where pavilions, fountains, statues, cruises and even inscriptions in Sanskrit that, according to tradition, were brought from the East by D himself. João de Castro. The viceroy, on a high and unbreashed summit, had the chapel of Nossa Senhora do Monte erected in 1543, which will have been designed by Francisco de Holanda. This centralized chapel is internally surrounded by elegant columns and finely worked capitals that support the dome.

In addition to this little jewel of the national Renaissance, there are two other chapels on Quinta, also circular, but already mannerist and the work of D. Francisco de Castro, grandson of the viceroy: one devoted to São João Baptista; and that of Santa Catarina, patron saint of the Castros. Also standing out in its lush gardens and woods two fountains, also dating from the 17th century.

QUINTA DA PENHA VERDE (Estate)

Sintra Mountain Range (Sintra Mountain Range)

Heritage of fundamental value of the Cultural Landscape of Sintra

At the entrance to the Quinta da Penha Verde stands an elegant mannerist portico surmounted by a stone pediment bearing the coat-of-arms of the Castro family under an open oculus. This is followed by a small 18th century leisure garden in front of the mansion. Notwithstanding its formal classicism, this small palace comprises an example of aulic architecture of vernacular origin. Its current layout, however, is the result of several projects carried out by Álvaro de Castro, in the 16th century, but also, and particularly, in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The property as a whole has succeeded in creating a space conducive to the pleasure and simplicity of country life in the form of a true locus amoenus in which architecture is trumped by nature. It contains a scattering of pavilions, fountains, statues, crosses and even inscriptions in Sanskrit that, according to tradition, were brought from the Orient by João de Castro himself. The viceroy erected the chapel of Nossa Senhora do Monte (Our Lady of the Mount) in 1543 to the design of Francisco de Holanda, on a high, ridge with unobstructed views. The interior of this small chapel with its centralized design is encircled by elegant columns and its dome is supported by richly sculpted capitals.

In addition to this small jewel of the national Renaissance, the estate has another two chapels, both of which circular, but in the mannerist style. They were commissioned by the viceroy's grandson Francisco de Castro. One of them is devoted to Saint John the Baptist. The other is in honor of Santa Catarina (Saint Catherine) as the patron saint of the Castro family. Reference should also be made to its lush gardens and woodland and two fountains dating from the 17th century.