PNS Sala Archeiros 790X593px — Discover the objects on display in the National Palace of Sintra
Entrance Hall

Entrance Hall

This hall connects two royal palaces. To the left, the palace built in the reign of King João I (early 15th century); to the right, the palace from the reign of King Manuel I (early 16th century).

Until the 16th century, this was a terrace – an uncovered area through which the palace could be entered.

Discover the objects on display in this room.

Fountain

The water spouting from this fountain comes directly from the hills in the current Park of Pena. To get here, it flows along an intricate network of pipes originally built as long ago as the Palace itself. When it reaches the Palace, the water is channelled to a central reservoir from where it is piped to various rooms and patios. The excess was once charitably given to other Sintra inhabitants

Space

First and foremost, the Palace of Sintra is an architectural space which was built in various periods. It consists of rooms and chambers where the sovereigns received visitors; courtyards and terraces where the privileged enjoyed their leisure; offices where the steward and his clerk managed the royal property; stairs that the palace staff climbed and descended endlessly; and gardens from which fruit and flowers were sent to Lisbon.

The Palace is also an element of the territorial space. Until the 18th century, it was the centre of the economic and legal administration of the surrounding region. It was where the taxes were kept, contracts signed and the natural resources of the landscape of Sintra protected.

The Palace is also a social space. It is where the sovereigns intermingled with the nobility and foreign ambassadors, local authorities, servants, the poor and enslaved, bureaucrats and the myriad visitors.