Around Lisbon

The National Palace of Mafra was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019. 

The Royal Palace occupies the noble floor of the Mafra building and the 2 turrets.

The north turret was occupied by the king and the south turret by the queen, and both turrets are linked by a 232-metre gallery – making it Europe’s largest palatial corridor. This building, of about 40,000 m2, housed a Franciscan convent (300 fryers) – and features Campo Santo, the Infirmary, the Elliptical Hall (capitular), the Literary Acts Hall, the Stairway and the Dining Hall.

It boasts a large library thought to be one of the most beautiful in the world. The Royal Building has two carillons with 98 bells – the largest of its time. The Basilica’s 6 organs are pieces of unique heritage worldwide.

The Royal Convent and Palace of Mafra is the most important baroque monument in Portugal. The building covers an area of almost four hectares (37.790 m2), including 1.200 rooms, more than 4.700 doors and windows, 156 stairways and 29 inner yards and courtyards.

Such magnificence was only possible due to the Brazilian gold that poured into the country, allowing the King to carry out his patronage of the arts and the strengthening of royal authority.

The Casa Roque Gameiro is one of the oldest and most picturesque houses to be found in the municipality of Amadora. Turned into a cultural centre, this house designed by the famous Portuguese painter Roque Gameiro who specialised in watercolours, today holds various local exhibitions. The artist was clearly inspired by nationalistic ideals when building the house. It is typically Portuguese, combining the architectural characteristics of various parts of the country. In a style very much in vogue in the late 19th century, the décor includes naturalist, revivalist and folk elements. This dynamic and interesting cultural centre is well worth visiting, in an area that is emerging as representative of alternative culture in present day Lisbon.

Discover a virtually unknown national monument in Lisbon. The Carenque Caves, or Carenque Necropolis, are a set of manmade caves dug out of the rock at the end of the Neolithic age – around the third millennium BC – that were used up until the Chalcolithic period (the Copper Age). You can see several of the artefacts found beside the bodies at the National Archaeology Museum (MNA) in Lisbon. In this circular mortuary chamber, limestone idols and crescent-shaped moons, slabs of schist and even depictions of utensils, such as an adze, were found. The three collective graves excavated from the rock contained skeletons and ceramics and have maintained their characteristic architecture with a corridor and a skylight, both covered by limestone slabs. Come to Amadora, book a visit through the Museu de Arqueologia da Amadora and awaken the archaeologist within.

If you’re interested in Lisbon’s most important monasteries, don’t miss the convent of São Dinis, better known as the monastery of Odivelas. This Cistercian monastery was founded in 1295 by King Dinis. Legend has it that it came into being thanks to the divine salvation which saved the king from a bear while hunting in the Alentejo. But it’s more likely that this place of retreat, built to house Bernadine nuns, was used by the king to ensure the future of his illegitimate daughter, D. Maria Afonso, whose tomb can still be found in the high chapel. Dinis is also buried in this original Gothic complex, which mixes influences and styles that coincide with the eras when restoration work was done. Manueline traces can clearly be seen in the cloister, while the font is Renaissance and the chapels, porches and azulejo tiles all Baroque. Discover the impressive history of the monastery of Odivelas, or convent of São Dinis, a national monument right on the edges of Lisbon.

If you visit Oeiras during your stay in Lisbon, set aside a few hours to discover this magnificent palace. The building, one of the aristocratic houses most representative of the Rococo and Baroque styles in Portugal, was designed by Carlos Mardel in the second half of the 18th century. The residence of the great rebuilder of Lisbon was thus designed to combine both recreation and business. The beauty of the palace and its gardens is coupled with a large area of farming land and a substantial winery. The property also contains an olive oil press and a fishing lodge, denoting the huge versatility of the farm. Inside the palace, there are paintings, frescoes, azulejo tiles and statues that impress all those who visit. Come and see them for yourself.