WORLD HERITAGE
We're at Sintra, at Casa do Cipreste,
where architect Raul Lino used to live.
It was completed in 1914.
We will use it as a starting point to understand
the landscape and culture of Vila de Sintra.
Let's understand the establishment of a prime location
for housing and the interaction with a local context.
From a perspective of modernity and contemporaneity
Sintra is considered some sort of laboratory for architecture.
ART HISTORIAN
It is a role model in the field and has earned such status,
becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We're at the Vila de Sintra Palace.
During the Kingdom of Afonso I of Portugal around 1147,
the castle was taken from the moors.
An urban inclusion project was put in place immediately,
and four churches were consequently built.
They became the center for the expansion of Vila de Sintra.
This is where the city was born,
with royal buildings where the royal family spent time.
Throughout centuries and dynasties,
despite changing styles and artistic languages,
this building is derived from Islamic castles,
from the Valois dynasty,
which is the origin of this castle
and a very important dwelling.
When King John I decided to invest and dedicate time to
such a large-scale venture,
the significant remnants that catch our eye
are these arches that highlight the main facade
of King John's place of residence.
The Manueline architectural discourse is very visible
especially on the ornamental windows.
It is a natural component that builds upon Revivalism,
which was influenced by the Islamic architecture
that occupied the peninsula for years.
The Arab Room deeply highlights
these marks, memories, and archaeology
from the old Valois castle, which supposedly
once existed in this location,
where subsequently a large royal residence was then built.
It then expanded with each dynasty throughout the centuries.
It is significant because this fountain on the ground floor,
which is surrounded by tiles and has a central metal spout,
constitutes a refreshment room,
as seen throughout the Islamic world and the north of Africa.
In mosques, we see water fountains as a central element as well.
This is one the most emblematic rooms at the Vila de Sintra Palace.
There's special harmony here.
There is a golden rectangle, or a double square,
which creates a balanced perspective
that we rarely see in Portuguese architecture.
Three historical periods coexist within this space.
The first one refers to King John I,
when it was called the "Room of Princes" or simply "Large Room."
It indicates that it was used for important ceremonies.
Then we have the Manueline period.
That's when tiles were installed throughout the room,
giving it a unique, extraordinary look.
We can see harmony in the tile ensemble.
They create frames around the windows.
It creates a less common air of distinctiveness,
which is peculiar to the Manueline decor and style.
Up above, we have a coffered ceiling.
It has hexagonal shapes with images depicting swans.
That is why it's now commonly known as "Room of the Swans."
This is the Magpie Room, where we can see 125 of these birds.
It is a contribution by King John I.
Legend says it was inspired by an innocent kiss
the King stole from a lady-in-waiting to his wife, Philippa of Lancaster.
The objective was to depict this act of innocence,
and shut down any rumors around the palace.
The King then decided to create a heraldry of affection,
bonhomie and sympathy
towards his wife's lady-in-waiting, immortalized as the Magpie Room.
Here we have 72 coats of arms of the main noble families in the kingdom.
King Manuel I made a tremendous effort to codify his heraldry,
which has its own voice, so to speak,
for the King wished to communicate through his decor and style
an imperial notion in his heraldic representations.
It can be seen in the coats of arms,
and in an adjacent room known as "Manueline Room,"
where tiles represent fantastic beasts.
PORTUGUESE PEOPLE IN ARMS FOR FAITH, THE KING AND THE LAND
What we see here are two different quarters or spaces
divided by this ogival arch.
In back, we see a door connecting the room to the Mecca terrace.
It is yet another Islamic touch
we see at Vila de Sintra.
These chimneys of Gothic origin
were separated from the main Palace structure,
a monumental construction hardly seen anywhere else in Europe.
It indicates a unique volume for chimneys on this scale.
The Pena Palace is a European Romanticist castle per excellence.
It was influenced by the abilities, efforts and creativity
of King Ferdinand II of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
He acquired the building in 1836.
The abandoned monastery
from the Manueline period was in ruins,
became a small summer residence
for royals in Sintra.
It was expanded once everyone realized how magical the place was
and it became a highlight of Romanticism,
not only for Portugal, but for Europe as well.
This is a combination of Islamic architecture
with Manueline and Gothic styles,
as well as the architectural influence from the south of Spain.
The King even ordered a replica of an Alhambra gate from Andalusia.
This convergence of styles
created a unique language
that was emerging and innovative throughout the end of the century.
It is the Neo-Manueline style.
The interaction resulting from all these elements and variables
makes this a special, magical place.
The Rosicrucianism or Freemasonry Order the King belonged to
can also be seen in the heraldry throughout the palace.
It confers an hermetic, esoteric dimension to such a prime location.
Quinta da Regaleira is an estate that summarizes
the constitution of a mood,
imminence and emergence
of a pioneering architectural project
associated with the late Manueline period.
António Carvalho Monteiro commissioned the work,
making detailed contributions to an architectural project
that was originally nationalistic,
of alchemic balance and pioneering nature.
Namely, the buildings erected throughout the gardens,
clearly reflect these elements and captivate visitors,
among them specialists in all these fields.
We could say that the scenery
conveys the local nature and architecture.
Some people mention the ossification of the scenery,
or the embodiment of an opera-like scenario.
This dream-like hallucination, so to speak,
is imposed by the palace by combining, multiplying
and juxtaposing styles,
which may also be considered a testament to
a late Romantic or Manueline Period that makes it stand out
and confers upon it an architectural identity.
In this work, the monogram
commissioned by António de Carvalho Monteiro,
as well as in the heraldry
based on his family's coats of arms,
we are assuming that these symbols
are connected to an iconography
that gave room to the esoteric initiation
and vision of this project.
We are now at Pavilion Monserrate, known as "Monserrate Palace."
It is an honor to be here at this marvelous park,
with such exemplary curatorship.
We can see how Neo-Classic style was experimented with in Portugal,
especially with early Neo-Gothic experiences.
One of the main sponsors of these architectural innovations
was William Beckford,
who moved to this palace in 1793.
He commissioned the landscape of the Monserrate Gardens.
We can also see here the Beckford Waterfall and the Vathek's Arch,
named after a popular novel from that time.
ART HISTORIAN
It was a seminal novel for Neo-Romanticism.
It also showed some signs of the Freemasonry Order,
since the book proposed the discovery of a Garden of Wisdom.
Mughal architecture is also an essential element here.
It creates an Oriental environment
that can evidently be seen on these long hallways
that have columns on both sides,
creating a powerful, scenographic indoor perspective.
At the entrance to the park, we can also see an Indian arc,
as well as the jali that resembles the Taj Mahal,
a 17-century building that is also indicative of this imaginary,
since it was erected as a symbol of love by an Indian maharaja
and inspired the rest of the world.
This central building contributed to Sintra
receiving the status of World Heritage Site,
thanks to its architecture, culture, and landscape.
To those coming to Sintra, I believe this is a starting point,
among others that have such innovations.
Pavilion Monserrat could be an excellent starting point.
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