Queluz National Palace and Gardens - The sophisticated home of the court in a dream setting
Stood midway between Lisbon and Sintra, the National Palace of Queluz, was once the luxurious residence of the court, combining Baroque grandeur, exquisite Rococo detailing and the classical precision of Neoclassicism. In this residence, the destiny of Portugal was intertwined with the splendour of art and nature, and even today the grandeur and exuberance of its architectural details remain enchanting.
The history of the palace dates back to 1654, when King João IV established the Casa do Infantado and gifted the land of the Country Residence to the Infante D. Pedro, the future King Pedro II. But it was between 1747 and 1760 that, under the direction of architect Mateus de Vicente de Oliveira, and later Jean-Baptiste Robillion, the ‘Old Palace’ was transformed into a true royal jewel, with unique rooms such as the Throne Room and the Ambassadors’ Room, extraordinarily beautiful spaces that you really have to visit if you come to the palace.
In this residence, the destiny of Portugal was intertwined with the splendour of art and nature, and even today the grandeur and exuberance of its architectural details remain enchanting.
Throughout its history, the National Palace has seen the court celebrate: among the many serenades, hunts, masked balls and fireworks, there have been countless celebrations that have brought every corner of the palace to life. After the fire at the Wooden Palace of Ajuda, in 1794, Queluz Palace became the main residence of Queen Maria I, of the royal family, and later the scene of dramas and exiles: in 1807, one day before the arrival of Napoleon’s troops, King João VI left for Brazil, leaving a court in Queluz frozen in time. It was also in the famous ‘bedroom of Don Quixote’ that King Pedro IV died.
Classified as a National Monument in 1910, Queluz has gradually regained its former glory throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. From 1940 to 2004, the Pavilhão D. Maria I welcomed foreign heads of state on official visits. Since 2012, Parques de Sintra has undertaken restoration work that has restored the palace to its original blue colour and carried out a project to restore the Botanical Garden, winning two Europa Nostra Awards in 2018 in the process.
Today, the vast formal gardens that stretch out from the palace gates create a series of settings of visual and symbolic pleasure. Lakes, canals, waterfalls, shady corners and the famous gondola canal whisk you away to the world of European courts, with their open-air balls, music, feathered hats and illuminated salons.
From 1940, the Pavilhão D. Maria I has welcomed foreign heads of state on official visits.
But the charm continues with the statues that line the paths — veritable narratives in marble and lead. Every sculpture reproduces ancient myths that speak of love, loss, power and regeneration, recalled in the statues of Venus and Adonis, Vertumnus and Pomona, Bacchus and Ariadne, or Mars and Minerva.
Strolling through the gardens of Queluz is like travelling through these myths, between the shade of sculpted trees and water etched in the sparkle of the fountains; it is like entering the classical imagination of elegance, playful and symbolic, in an intimate dialogue between art and nature, past and present.
As a whole, this royal retreat — steeped in monarchical history, adorned with art and preserved for the future — is perhaps the perfect combination of a celebration of beauty and heritage and an exclusive, refined and timeless experience.
Strolling through the gardens of Queluz is like […]entering the classical imagination of elegance, playful and symbolic, in an intimate dialogue between […] past and present.
Text: Carla Martins
Photos: Rights Reserved