Description

Essentials about the Palace of Mafra in brief

If you have a little more time on your trip to Lisbon, you should definitely make a detour to Mafra, which is located about 50 kilometers north of the Portuguese capital. There you will find the monumental Palácio Nacional de Mafra (National Palace of Mafra), the former summer residence of the royal family of Portugal. With its 220-meter-long facade, an area of around 38,000 square meters, 1,200 rooms and over 150 staircases, the Palace of Mafra is the largest palace and monastery complex in Portugal.

The history of the Palace of Mafra

Historically, the Palace of Mafra dates back to King João V. Since his marriage to Queen Maria Anna of Austria was still childless after three years, the royal couple wanted an offspring to continue the royal dynasty. King João vowed, if his wife would give him a male heir to the throne, to endow a monastery in honor of Saint Anthony of Padua. This vow was the basis of a decree issued by the king in 1711, which guaranteed the corresponding endowment of a monastery. And indeed, the marriage of João and Maria Anna turned out to be a very childlike one; in total, the royal couple had seven children between 1711 and 1720, including several male heirs to the throne.

Planning for the monastery probably began after the birth of their first son in 1712, and actual construction of what was initially a monastic building began in 1717. It took a full 38 years to complete the magnificent ensemble of buildings consisting of a palace with a basilica, outdoor facilities and gardens. Up to 45,000 workers were involved in the construction of the gigantic Palace of Mafra. According to the initial planning, the building was intended to house only 13 Capuchin monks. However, the revenues from gold mining in the Portuguese colony of Brazil made it possible to build a much more elaborate structure for more than 300 monks.

Incidentally, the architect of the Palace of Mafra, which was built in the Baroque style, was a German, namely the Swabian architect Johann Friedrich Ludwig. He based the National Palace of Mafra on the buildings of the Italian star architects Pietro Bernini, Francesco Borromini and Carlo Fontana.

The building complex of the Palace of Mafra

The building complex of the palace has truly gigantic dimensions. There are around 1,200 rooms, almost 5,000 windows and doors, and over 150 staircases. The centrally located church of the complex bears the title of a basilica minor (minor basilica). The two carillons, each with 48 bells from Flanders, are among the largest of their kind in the world. In addition, there are six organs in the basilica. Also worth seeing is the library on the upper floor of the palace. About 30,000 volumes from the 15th to the 19th century are stored on a length of 88 meters and a width of 10 meters. This makes the library of the Palace of Mafra the most important royal and monastic library in all of Portugal.

Behind the part of the building with the palace library lies the extensive botanical garden. North of it is the 820-hectare Tapada Nacional de Mafra park, through which a network of hiking trails runs. The former royal hunting grounds are now home to numerous deer, roe deer, wild boar and many other wild animals.

Website

palaciomafra.pt

Opening hours

Opening hours Palace:

Admission fees

Adults: €8

Seniors: €4

Students: €4

Children: €4

For further information on possible discounts, see the website.

Address

Getting there

By public transport:

Inaccessible.

By car:

There is a parking lot on site.