The Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra opened to the public in the Summer of 1998. Set in four hectares of land it has luscious green shrubs, trees, and well-tended flower gardens.  The building, with all its intricate carvings in wood and stone, looks like something out of a fairy tale.

Regaleira, Monteiro of the Millions and Luigi Mannini

The Regaleira Palace was built by António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro. Monteiro was born in 1848, the son of a wealthy Portuguese family who lived in Brazil. The family wealth was obtained from trading in coffee and precious stones.  In Portugal Monteiro was known as ‘Monteiro dos Milhões’ – Monteiro of the Millions.

Luigi Mannini, an Italian architect, was hired to design this palace. It was in the neo-manueline style, which took its name from King Manuel (1495-1521). Monteiro lived in the Reinassance House in the grounds whilst supervising the counstruction of the palace which began in 1905.

Mannini had come to Portugal in 1879 to design the Lisbon São Carlos Opera House. His most notable work was the Buçaco Palace Hotel in 1888. Monteiro’s ideas blended with his own and together they worked to produce this palace.

The Chapel of Holy Trinity

Several feet away from the main palace is the Chapel of Holy Trinity. This was the first of the buildings in 1904. Mannini employed artesans from Coimbra for the Buçaco Palace and the same people worked at Regaleira.

The Chapel is small, with a main altar. The walls have murals and venetian mosaic and stained glass are other decorations here. A stairway leads down to the cript. It is a simple room with a main altar. Throughout the estate you can see influences of Christianity, the Order of the Templars and Masonic and mythology scenes. These are in paintings and sculptures.

The Property

The property was always in private hands. The first owner was Francisco Alberto Guimarães de Castro. He bought the land in 1715. Quinta da Torre was its name which it  received from the Torre (Tower) in the grounds. João António Lopes Fernandes purchased it in 1800.  In 1830 by Manuel Bernardo. Ermelinda Allen Monteiro de Almeida (1768-1856) acquired the property in 1840.  She was the daughter of a wealthy merchant from Porto. She became Baroness of Regaleira.

Monteiro acquired the estate in 1892. He owned some land around the quinta.  In 1896 he bought more land from the Marquês de Praia e Monforte adding to his estate. A most recent private owner was the Japanese company Aoki Corporation. They owned the Penha Longa Resort and bought it in 1987 from the heirs of Waldemar d’Orey.  The Sintra Town Council acquired it. It was classified as a World Heritage by UNESCO.

Monteiro’s Library

A highly intelligent and cultured man, Monteiro had a vast library. He had a passion for collecting books, shells, butterflies, antiques and clocks. Educated at the University of Coimbra he obtained his law degree in 1871.  Monteiro died in 1920. Maurice Ettinghausen purchased his library in 1926 and sent it to London. The Magg Brothers bought it.  It was sold on to the Washington Library of Congress.

The Palace – a guided tour

The ground floor in the palace holds the reception rooms. They include a Hunting or Dining room, which has hunting scenes and sculptures. The Billiard or Monarch’s Room has paintings engraved into the wooden ceiling. These are of the Portuguese monarchs from the first King Afonso Henriques to King João V. Monteiro was a monarchist and proud national.  Paintings of  the Spanish royals who ruled this country between 1580 to 1640 were not shown.

A guided tour of the Quinta da Regaleira with its fascinating mixture of charm and mythology lasts one and a half hours. You start from the gardens, through ponds, grottoes, the Initiation Well and tower ending with a visit to the palace. The Iniciation Well follows masonic rituals. There are nine levels with steps leading down to the botton which has a templar cross.

A recent addition is the display room of Masonic artifacts.

To book a visit to the Quinta da Regaleira please call the number below. Open 10am to 5.30pm. Details at Tel: +351-21-9106650. Rua Barbosa du Bocage, 5, Sintra.

By Pat Rodrigues