Parques de Sintra

Parques de Sintra – Monte da Lua, S.A. is an entirely state-owned company founded in 2000 in order to meet the challenges arising out of the UNESCO listing of the Sintra Cultural Landscape as a World Heritage site (1995). Its aim was to bring together the institutions responsible for safeguarding and enhancing this landscape, and the Portuguese State entrusted the management of its main estates in the area to the company. The entity does not resort to the State Budget and the restoration and maintenance of the heritage in its care are ensured by the revenues resulting from sales at its ticket offices, stores, cafeterias and the rental of facilities for the hosting of events. All its earnings re-invested in preserving and enhancing the heritage in its care.

Parques de Sintra is in charge with protecting and conserving the Cultural Landscape of Sintra. This activity is connected to a significant investment in the study, enhancement and dissemination of the heritage under its care, namely its three national palaces: Sintra, Pena and Queluz. Since 2007, Parques de Sintra has invested greatly in the study and reform of the permanent exhibition of the National Palace of Pena, thanks to the thorough study of archives and the establishment of partnerships with universities and other cultural institutions. Since 2012, a major investment was also made in the study and reconstruction of the botanical garden of the National Palace of Queluz, for which Parques de Sintra received a Europa Nostra Award in 2018. Since 2016, Parques de Sintra’s priorities have been set on the National Palace of Sintra. New visitor facilities, such as a new shop and cafeteria, have been created. There has also been a significant investment in the improvement of the accessibility to a palace that comprises more over seven levels, and several hundreds of steps. Parques de Sintra has also been a leading example in good practices as an inclusive company. In 2015, Parques de Sintra was granted the “Physical Accessibility” award by the organisation Acesso Cultura.