Monday, October 27, 2014

Quinta de Regaleira by Lorraine Stanley #9






Quinta da Regaleira is an estate located near the historic center of Sintra, Portugal and is classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The property consists of a romantic palace and chapel, and a luxurious park that features lakes, grottoes, wells, benches, fountains, and a vast array of exquisite constructions.  The wishing well is really extraordinary since it is 27 meters deep and it resembles an inverted tower. Carvalho Monteiro built this place with Italian architect Luigi Manini.  Monteiro wanted a place that would reflect his interests and ideologies.  The architecture Manini designed suggested Roman, Gothic, Renaissance, and Manueline styles. Manueline is a composite Portuguese style of architectural ornamentation of the early 16th century, incorporating maritame elements and representations of the discoveries brought from voyages. The  construction of the current estate commenced in 1904 and much of it was completed by 1910.

No comments:

Post a Comment