Lisbon Estoril Coast Tourism Guide - Sintra

Sintra Castle of the Moors

Sintra's castle, perched high up in the Sintra Hills, was a Moorish stronghold up until the final Portugese conquest under Dom Afonso Henriques in 1147.

It soon lost its strategic emphasis, and actually at the end of the 14th century became a refuge centre for Jews banished from the local community by the king. Afte rthe Expulsion Decree of 1496 they had to leave the castle too!

Not until the 1800s was it restored - it had suffered considerable earthquake damage in 1755. St Pedro do Canaferrim church is up here too. Resoration plans were decorative however, linking buildings with adjacent parkland.

Certainly worth a look, there are remains of the original Arab structure, and evidence of Neolithic (5000 bac) settlement have also been found on the hill. Check the Sintra Parks weblink right for opening times and entrace fee.

Sintra Portugal Palaces

Two palaces come to the fore in Sintra - the National Palce of Pena and Pena Park surrounds, plus the distinctive Sintra National Palace which dominates the Sintra skyline.

The Pena National Palace was built in a Romantic style - hence the constant comparisons to fairytale. It dates from the fist half of the 19th century and was commissioned by D.Fernando of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. A 16th century convent was here previously. Haul yourself up here for spectacular views of the surrounding park and Sintra area. Checkout the Sintra Palace weblink right for details.

The Sintra National Palace is easily spotted by its two distinctive chimneys. There is an old part to this building which dates back to the Moorish period. Its seen some additions and changes through the years, hence its mish-mash of architectural styles.

The Sintra National Palace was the favoured residence of Portuguese monarchy as far back as the Middle Ages. Check the Sintra Palaces weblink for information. Pushing out of the central old town area of Sintra, there are a selection of other palaces nearby. These include the Monserrate Palace and Estate, picked up by rich English merchant Francis cook in the early 19th century and renovated. Another is the Regaleira Palace (Palace of the Millions! - Monteiro the owner was known as the 'Hunter of the Millions) and Estate - this palace was picked up by Carvalho Monteiro (1848-1920), an extremely rich lover of culture whose family had built up their huge wealth in Brazil, mainly through coffee and precious stones. Certainly you begin to get a sense of just how much of a wealth magnet Sintra became - particularly from the early 19th century onwards! Less attention is paid to digging into how this wealth was accumulated both at home and in the Portuguese colonies!

Sintra Museum of Modern Art

In the heart of Sintra's old town sits an interesting gem - the Sintra Museum of Modern Art with works here by the likes of Picasso, Miro, Andy Warhol and Lichtenstein.

It's contemporary art all the way here, and many have compared the quality collection of contemporary works to that held in the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.

Definitely worth a look in, the museum sits on Av.Heliodoro Salgado, 2710-575 Sintra. Tel: 00 351 219 24 8170. Open from 10am to 6pm daily except Mondays. Check the Sintra Modern Art/Berardo Collection weblink right for details.

Sintra Museums

Sintra is a hotspot generally for museums, with a rather odd mix it has to be said. The Museo do Brinquedo is a Toy Museum and part of the Arbues Moreira Foundation (a big toy collecting body!). Everything from old Portugese toy lead soldiers, to trains, dolls and Meccano dinky toys. Find it on Rua Visconde de Monserrate in Sintra.

Back to the central Sintra district, and here sits the Ferreira de Castro Museum, where you'll find a private collection of art and books belonging to the Portugese writer Ferreira de Castro. An interesting chap was Ferreira de Castro - he spend some time in Brazil from the age of 12, and his 4 years spent on a Brazilian rubber plantation influenced his book A Selva (1930. He was a strong opposer of Portugal's dictator Salazar.

Museums Near Sintra

Moving to the north Sintra surrounds there are more museums. Check out the S.Miguel de Odrinhas Museum Complex spread across several 16th century buildings.

Exhibitions here include artefacts from the Etruscan, Roman and Visigoth periods and one exhibit collection dates back to the mid-Palaeolithic period. Find it at Av.Prof.Dr.Ferrnando de Almeida, S.Maguel de Odrinhas, 27050735 S.Joao das Lamps. Tel. 00351 219 61 35 74.

Other museums around Sintra include the Leal da Camara House Museum in Rinchoa off the main Sintra to Lisbon road. Interesting one this, as it contains work by Leal da Camara (1876 to 1948), a painter, and caricaturist. The museum was his house where he worked.