Chronology
- 12th Century
Chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Pena, or Penha in allusion to the Portuguese word for the huge boulders dotting the top of the hill on which the chapel got constructed.
- 1503
Beginning of the construction of the Royal Monastery of Our Lady of Pena, funded by King Manuel I. The Monastery is handed over to the Order of Saint Jerome.
- 1834
Abolition of religious orders in Portugal and the abandoning of the monastery.
- 1836
Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (King Ferdinand II) marries Queen Maria II.
- 1838
King Ferdinand II acquires the monastery and its respective grounds in a public auction.
- 1839
Beginning of restoration work on the monastery.
- 1843
Beginning of construction on the “New Palace”, undertaken by King Ferdinand and Queen Maria II under the supervision of Baron von Eschwege.
- 1853
Death of Queen Maria II.
- 1854
Completion of the mural decoration in the Visitor’s Room and the Main Room.
- 1860
King Ferdinand meets the opera singer Elise Hensler and begins courting her.
- 1864
King Ferdinand and Elise Hensler oversee work on the Chalet and the Garden surrounding the western flanks of the Park of Pena.
- 1866-1867
Acquisition of furniture and textiles for the Noble Hall, the Smoking Room and the Dining House.
- 1869
Marriage of King Ferdinand II and Elise Hensler, who is bestowed with the title of the Countess of Edla by King Ferdinand’s cousin, the reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Ernest II.
- 1885
Death of King Ferdinand II. The Palace and Park are left in his will to the Countess of Edla.
- 1890
Following a judicial process, the Countess agrees to the sale of the Palace and Park of Pena to the state and receiving the lifelong right to reside in and benefit from the Chalet and Garden (which she rescinds in 1904).
- 1908
Regicide of King Carlos I and the Royal Prince Luís Filipe.
- 1910
With the declaration of the Republic, the royal family departs for exile with King Manuel II thus becoming the last king to reside in Pena.
- 1911
The now National Palace of Pena opens to the public as a museum.
- 1995
UNESCO classifies the hills and historical town of Sintra as World Heritage Cultural Landscape, the first to receive this category in Europe. The Palace and Park of Pena fall within the scope of this classification.
- 2000
Parques de Sintra takes over the management of the Park of Pena and its adjoining hunting grounds.
- 2007
Parques de Sintra takes over the management of the National Palace of Pena.
