Salabrasoes Portal Sigla 790X593px — Discover the objects on display in the National Palace of Sintra
Corridor

Corridor

This corridor connects buildings constructed in different periods. Behind lie the palaces of King João I and Philippa of Lancaster (15th century) and of King João III (16th century). To the left is the Blazons Hall (16th century). To the right is the entrance to the old palace of King Dinis and Isabel of Aragon (13th century), the oldest section of the entire building.

Discover the objects on display in this room.

Doorway

This portal leads to the Heraldic Hall. There are visible stonemason marks identifying who did the work and how much of it. One of the marks may belong to Master Pêro (Pedro) Anes, who we know produced work for Manuel I (1469–1521) in the early 16th century.

Tapestry with the Portuguese Royal Coat of Arms

Brussels, Belgium, late 15th century
Cotton, wool and silk
Inv. No. PNS3556

This important piece shows the royal arms of Portugal in the centre and armillary spheres in the corners. It was made in the main 15th–16th-century centre of Flemish tapestry production and is one of the rare examples of tapestries with Portuguese coats of arms. Its origins are unknown but may have been commissioned by King Manuel (1469–1521) before he was crowned in 1495.

Portrait of the King Luís

Manuel Tomás da Fonseca
Portugal, 1863
Oil on canvas
Inv. No. PNS3611

Prince Carlos of Habsburg

Alonso Sánchez Coello and/or workshop
Spain, c.1565
Oil on canvas
Inv. No. PNS3641

This portrait of Prince Carlos (1545–1568), son of King Filipe II of Spain (1527–1598), is a copy of a famous portrait by Sofonisba Anguissola (1535–1625). It was modified to add the Portuguese escutcheon and motto and the chain pendant was altered to identify the subject as King Sebastião of Portugal (1554–1578).

Memory

The rooms in this section were built in the 16th century on the initiative of King João III (1502-1557). They were altered several times and lost their original decoration. No information yet exists about how they were used.

We believe that the first room – the Galleys Room – may have been a gallery. In European royal palaces, galleries were places to walk in and to enjoy the views, but also to stimulate intellectual dialogue. This type of dialogue, often between a master and a disciple, was a way of producing knowledge. It was of particular importance in humanism – the philosophical doctrine that prevailed in Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries. The dialogues could revolve around themes painted on the walls or ceilings of the gallery, which in some cases served to laud the feats of the monarchy. Galleries were therefore places of rest and reflection, but also places of memory.

The section is divided into two parts. The Galleys Room encourages debate about the influence of the Islamic inheritance on Portuguese national memory. The following rooms exhibit objects used to preserve the memory of the noble families.