Quinta Da Ribafria, Sintra
The Quinta da Ribafria (Ribafria Estate) is situated close to Sintra in Lisbon District, Portugal. It was built from 1536 to 1541 by Gaspar Gonçalves, a ceremonial official of the Portuguese Royal Household (the "Porteiro-mor" who was responsible for opening the door for visitors to enter the room where the king was), on land donated to him by King Manuel I in 1515. The property is now owned by the Sintra Municipality. History The land donated by King Manuel I was at the time known as the ''Herdade das Laranjeiras'' (Orange Tree Estate), and it still contains many orange trees. Gaspar Gonçalves ordered the construction of a small Renaissance palace, which also contains elements of the Manueline style prevalent in Portugal at that time. On its completion, King John III appointed Gonçalves as Lord of Ribafria and awarded him an official coat of arms. The building incorporates a 17th Century tower inspired by medieval Portuguese buildings, which is covered by a cornice with merlo ...
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Sintra
Sintra (, ) is a town and municipality in the Greater Lisbon region of Portugal, located on the Portuguese Riviera. The population of the municipality in 2011 was 377,835, in an area of . Sintra is one of the most urbanized and densely populated municipalities of Portugal. A major tourist destination famed for its picturesqueness, the municipality has several historic palaces, castles, scenic beaches, parks and gardens. The area includes the Sintra-Cascais Nature Park through which the Sintra Mountains run. The historic center of the ''Vila de Sintra'' is famous for its 19th-century Romanticist architecture, historic estates and villas, gardens, and royal palaces and castles, which resulted in the classification of the town as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sintra's landmarks include the medieval Castle of the Moors, the romanticist Pena National Palace and the Portuguese Renaissance Sintra National Palace. Sintra is one of the wealthiest municipalities in both Portugal and the ...
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