Pena Palace, 19th-century hilltop palace in São Pedro de Penaferrim, Portugal
Palácio da Pena is a hilltop palace on a ridge of the Serra de Sintra, about 480 meters (1575 feet) above sea level. Yellow and red towers rise beside domes and battlements, while terraces and courtyards spread across several levels.
King Ferdinand II had a ruined monastery transformed into this palace between 1842 and 1854. The conversion combined neo-Manueline elements with neo-Gothic and Moorish forms that were being revived across Europe at the time.
The name recalls Nossa Senhora da Pena, in whose honor a chapel once stood on this site. Today visitors from around the world walk through the colored halls and observe the Moorish-style wall coverings.
The palace sits above Sintra and can be reached on foot or by shuttle bus from the park entrance. The route is steep and requires sturdy footwear, especially when walking up.
A wooden serpent about 16 meters (52 feet) long runs along the walls of the Guardian's Room. This carving represents mythical creatures that appeared often in the stories of the Romantic period.
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