Palace of Mafra

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Palace of Mafra, Royal palace and monastery in Mafra, Portugal.

The Palace of Mafra spans 220 meters in length with a limestone facade, incorporating 1,200 rooms, 4,700 doors and windows, and 156 stairways.

Construction began in 1717 under King John V of Portugal, employing up to 45,000 workers simultaneously and requiring extensive resources from Brazilian colonies.

The Royal Library contains 36,000 leather-bound volumes, including rare books from the 16th century, protected by resident bats that consume harmful insects.

Visitors can explore the basilica, royal apartments, grand staircases, and extensive gardens while learning about Portuguese royal and religious history.

The palace complex required blasting through bedrock for its foundations, leading to 1,383 recorded worker deaths during the construction period.

Location: Mafra

Architects: João Frederico Ludovice

Architectural style: Neoclassical architecture

Part of: Royal Building of Mafra

Website: http://palaciomafra.pt

GPS coordinates: 38.93692,-9.32639

Latest update: June 13, 2025 19:03

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« Palace of Mafra: Royal palace and monastery in Mafra, Portugal » is provided by Around Us (aroundus.com). Images and texts are derived from Wikimedia project under a Creative Commons license. You are allowed to copy, distribute, and modify copies of this page, under the conditions set by the license, as long as this note is clearly visible.

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