About 28 km from Lisbon lies the town of Mafra, home to an eighteen-century palace boasting 1200 rooms and 29 courtyards. One of the largest palaces in Europe, the National Palace of Mafra is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. King João V built this remarkable monument consisting of the Palace, a basilica, a Franciscan monastery and a vast library. Cerco gardens and a hunting park/Tapada are part of the larger ensemble of the Palace. What is surprising is that a palace of such stature and grandeur was not the permanent residence of the Royal Family but was used as a base for hunting expeditions! Our quest to discover UNESCO World Heritage Sites continued on our trip to Lisbon, Portugal. Read on to know how we went about exploring the National Palace of Mafra, Portugal.
History of the National Palace of Mafra
The Palace is a testimony of the influence and spread of the Portuguese Empire in the early 1700s. King João V commissioned the Palace with the gold and diamonds flowing in from Brazil, a Portuguese colony. German architect Johann Friedrich Ludwig, who died halfway through its construction, and later his son António shouldered the responsibility of constructing the Palace. Some 15,000 to 45,000 workers from 1717 to 1730 worked to build the Palace. As a patronage of art, King João V ordered works of art, sculptures and paintings from France and Italy, making the Palace a fine example of Baroque architectural style. The Mafra school of Sculpture was one such initiative.
But why was National Palace of Mafra built?
King João V married Maria Anna of Austria in 1708, but the couple were childless three years into the marriage. The King then vowed that if he were blessed by an heir, he would build a palace. A daughter, Dona Maria Barabara (she later became the Queen of Spain), was born in 1711. The King fulfilled his promise soon after.
Palace’s Imposing Structure
Rafiq had visited the Palace earlier with the President’s Club group. I couldn’t make it since my visa had been delayed. But he was excited to take me and show me the Palace, even if it meant for him to make a second trip there. Our bus from Campo Grande station in Lisbon drops us at a stop just in front of the National Palace of Mafra. Since we have a Lisboa Card, entry is free. ‘Huge, big, humongous, vast, colossal, massive’ are words that cross my mind as we stand in front of the Palace, which is difficult to capture in a single camera frame. We are simply awed by the remarkable building whose façade is 220 meters long!
Impressive Façade
The Basilica, which has bell towers and a dome, is in the centre of the façade, with the palaces of the King and Queen on either side. At each end of the façade are square towers with bulbous domes. We climb a flight of stairs and can’t wait to explore the Palace. To facilitate ease of reading, we will first discuss the Palace’s most striking and impressive features, not in the order in which we saw them.
Basilica of Our Lady and Saint Anthony of Mafra/ Basílica de Nossa Senhora e de São António
In the porch leading to the Basilica are several life size sculptures by the Mafra School of Sculpture. The moment I enter the Basilica, I am reminded of the St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican we visited some years ago. It turns out the King intended to replicate Rome’s grandeur and sought architectural advice from the Vatican. The church has a cross layout with a nave leading to the altar, and transepts are on either side. Parallel to the nave on either side are aisles with interconnected chapels. Pink and white marble cover the church’s interior, with several sculptures and paintings. The altar has a jasper crucifix with two angels kneeling on either side. Light filters through the dome, the first cupola to be built in Portugal.
Six organs made with partially gilded Brazilian wood are another striking feature of the Basilica. I am awed by the chapel next to the altar with a painting of Mother Mary, Jesus and Anthony. There are spots in the chapel where you could light red tealight candles and say a little prayer. Having studied in a Convent school, I have continued to have a fascination for churches. I am immediately transported to my school days of attending chapels and singing hymns the nuns taught us.
National Palace of Mafra Library
If you love books and can spend hours scrolling through them, then the National Palace of Mafra Library is not to be missed. The library on the Palace’s second floor has more than 36,000 volumes of books from the 15th to 19th centuries. Countless books, bound in leather and engraved in gold, lined the bookshelves along the sidewalls separated by a balcony. The first edition of the Quran in 1543, the multilingual Bible of 1514, the ‘forbidden books’ and musical scores for the six organs we had just seen in the Basilica were all there. Here is an interesting titbit. The library is home to three species of bats that eat all the insects that would have otherwise fed on the wood and pages of the books and caused imminent damage. A very eco-friendly and ingenious way of pest control indeed!
Religious Art Exhibit
We climb a flight of stairs and enter the Religious Art Exhibit, which has numerous statues of saints, exhibits that depict scenes from the lives of the saints and a semicircular canvas painting.
Convent or Franciscan Monastery
The convent was initially planned for 80 friars/monks but soon expanded to accommodate 300 of them. We see the pharmacy where numerous medicines were made using locally available herbs and plants. Next, we see the infirmary with cubicles where the friars took care of the sick. The infirmary brought back memories of when I volunteered and headed an infirmary for the sick and elderly at a community gathering. We walk further and see the infirmary kitchen with numerous pots and pans. There are small rooms/cells where the nursing staff lived.
Royal Palace
The Royal Palace forms the major portion of the rooms at the monument. The spacious royal apartments are situated on the second floor. The northern side has the apartments of the King, and the southern side has the Queen’s apartments. We will briefly describe the royal palace rooms, so look at the pictures to get a sense of each of them.
Diana’s Hall
The most striking feature of this room is the ceiling painting featuring Diana, Goddess of the hunt, with some nymphs and mythical beings. A beautiful tapestry adorns one of the walls.
Throne Room/Audience Hall
Here the audiences with the King were held. We don’t see a throne but two chairs with red upholstery. The ceiling has a spectacular painting. The walls have paintings that look like sculptures depicting the eight royal virtues- Perfection, Tranquillity, Kindness, Knowledge, Generosity, Peace, Perseverance and Diligence. These virtues are ever more relevant today, and we can all instil them into our lives!
Room of Destinies of Portugal
There were paintings on the walls and ceiling of the room depicting a queen, a scene of King Afonso Henriques with a book of Portugal’s destinies surrounded by people and other paintings.
Exchequer’s Room/Discoveries Room
This room is dedicated to explorers who went in search of new lands and has paintings featuring Vasco da Gama, who came to India, Christopher Columbus, and others.
North Towers of Royal Apartments
The North Towers were for the King’s use and included a great hall where he spent time with family, his office, dressing room, and bedroom.
King’s Office and Dressing Room
It has a desk, some furniture and paintings on the walls.
King’s Bedroom
A giant bed with a painting of the King are the striking features of this room.
King’s Guard Hall
Close to the King’s bedroom was the guard’s hall, where perhaps the guards ensured the King wasn’t disturbed or attacked by intruders.
Royal Portraits Room
We see a room full of portraits of the royals.
Napoleonic Invasions Hall
Paintings that depict scenes from Napoleonic wars are on display here. Because of the Napolean invasion, the royals left Portugal and fled to Brazil in 1807.
Benediction Room
This room is in the middle of the Royal Palace, and we can see the Basilica from one of the windows. The Royal family could participate in the mass and other religious ceremonies from the windows. The room has a marble bust of King Joao V.
Room of Royal Household
Royal Apartments of the South Tower
The South Towers were for the Queen’s use and included a great hall where she spent time with family, a bedroom and an oratory/private chapel for personal use.
Queen’s Apartment
It consists of her bedroom. An interesting bit of information is that the last King of Portugal, King Manuel II, spent the night in this bedroom before leaving the country in exile in 1910. Another room has a bathtub next to a window with walls and ceilings painted with trees and birds.
King Pedro V’s Room
This is the ‘Waiting Room’ with furniture in red upholstery, where the nobles waited before being received by the royals.
Music Room
This room is the ‘Yellow Room’, with all upholstery in yellow and a grand piano. Guests were received here as music and revelry filled the room.
Billiards Room
Guests enjoyed a game of billiards, snooker, or spinning tops here.
Hunting Trophies Hall
This hall has antlers and trophies of animals hunted on the Tapada/hunting grounds, such as deer and wild bears. Even the chandeliers and furniture are made with antlers and hides. It is not something we are pleased to see as wildlife and nature lovers.
The Infanatas’ Living Quarters
The next set of rooms belonged to the princes, princesses and children.
Cradle Room/Nursery
The nursery has small beds and cradles for babies and children.
Royal Dining Room
This room has a wooden 14-seater dining table with chairs. The cupboards have exquisite Chinese and French porcelain and ceramics. A sign tells us that typically, four meals were consumed in a day: breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper.
Model Room
This room has a model of the Palace and gives you a good idea of its structure and shape. The western portion of the monument houses the Basilica and the royal apartments; the eastern part has the convent/monastery and palaces of the princes and princesses; the library is in the east wing.
Friars Portrait Room
This room has a series of miniature sculptures in glass cases. The sculptors made these miniatures before creating the life-size sculptures.
If you have the time, visit the Jardim do Cerco gardens and Tapada National de Mafra, the former hunting grounds at the rear of the Palace.
Final Word
The National Palace of Mafra had mesmerized us with its architectural brilliance and grandeur. It provided us with a glimpse of the lives of the royals and friars. The Baroque sculptures, paintings and artwork impressed us beyond doubt, not to forget the library with its massive collection of books. The Basilica is a fitting tribute to Italian Baroque architecture, offering a glance into the religious fervour of a bygone era. We suggest you plan a trip to Mafra when in Lisbon; you won’t be disappointed.
GETTING THERE
Nearest Airport: Humberto Delgado Airport is the international airport of Lisbon, Portugal. From India, there are no direct flights to Lisbon. I flew from Mumbai to Abu Dhabi and then flew to Lisbon. My husband flew in directly from Toronto to Lisbon. From Lisbon, you can take public transport to Campo Grande station. From here, Carris Metropolitana buses ply to Mafra. Tickets cost €3 – €5. The bus ride from Campo Grande Station to Mafra is 45 minutes. The frequency of buses is every 20 minutes. (We had to wait for longer on our way back.) Once you reach Mafra, the bus stops right in front of the Palace, so you won’t waste time searching or asking for directions.
Where to Stay: We stayed at Hotel Tivoli Avenida Liberdade for the first four days and in Rua das de Santo Antao at an apartment by Marriott Bonvoy for the next four days. There are lots of options available depending on budget and comfort.
Best Time to Visit Mafra: The weekends can get crowded with long queues. So, prefer a weekday. The National Palace of Mafra is closed on Tuesdays.
Travel Tip: Please get yourself a Lisboa Card. It is worth it. It gives free access to National Place of Mafra and covers public transport within Lisbon. You will need 3-5 hours to travel and explore National Palace of Mafra. Please carry a snack and water as the restaurants were closed around the time of our visit in late afternoon.
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A Food Trail in Lisbon
Exploring Belem, Portugal
Exploring Sintra Portugal – A Fairyland
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