The Pena Palace: The Most Magical Place On Earth Or At Least In Portugal

The Pena Palace In Sintra, Portugal

     Have you ever seen something so bizarre, so unique that you have to pinch yourself to believe that it is real.  For me, the Pena Palace in Sintra would definitely fall into this category.  It is a castle that defies belief and summons up visions of childhood dreams on a grandiose scale.

     The Pena Palace is an amalgamation of styles, colors, and shapes like no other place on earth and was the brainchild of the flamboyant Prince Ferdinand.  He was born in 1816 and grew up in the National Palace.  This traditional home to the Portuguese royalty was confining to the young prince and left him wanting something more, something to call his own.  Granted the National Palace is a very grand palace with hundreds of rooms, beautiful frescoes, and incredibly carved wood everywhere, but it seemed to lack the panache that the future king of Portugal wanted for himself.  But how would he go about it?  How do you create a legacy for yourself? 

     The answer came to him when he went to Bavaria to visit his cousin Ludwig.  For those who do not know, "Mad King" Ludwig designed one of the most incredible castles in all of Europe, Neuschwanstein.  This place is so iconic, so beautiful that Walt Disney used it as the inspiration for his "Sleeping Beauty's Castle" at Disneyland.  Anyway Ferdinand was so impressed with his cousin's masterpiece, that he decided to make one for himself. 

     So like any self respected monarch, he called on the best architects in the land and began to create his legacy.  He incorporated Moorish and Visigoth motifs in his new palace as a way of honoring Portugal's past as well as contemporary trends like Neo-Baroque and Neo-Gothic.  The final result is a brightly colored fantastical palace that is fit for any European royalty.  The place is full of Islamic arches and classic castle turrets.  It is truly a massive palace full of obscure and contradictory styles that seem to be taken out of a fantasy world and placed in the roughed foothills of Portugal.  It truly is a sight to behold and the best part is that Ferdinand selected the top of very a large mountain for the Pena Palace to be built upon.  This would way it would give it the most stunning of views possible and he could look down on his childhood home and smile, knowing full well that the whole valley would have to look up at his life long ambitions.

     I personally love seeing the results of one man's vision and how it can become a reality.  The Pena Palace is truly the fulfillment of this life long dream and an amazing place to see for yourself.

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