Park of Montserrate

Four kilometres from Sintra’s historic centre, and bearing witness to the eclectic tastes of the 19th century, are the peerless Palace and Park of Monserrate, where the exotic vegetal motifs of the building’s interior decoration extend harmoniously to the gardens outside.

The estate of Monserrate was rented by Gerard de Visme (1789), a wealthy English merchant, who built a house there in the neo-Gothic style. William Beckford then subleased Monserrate in 1793-1794, but, in 1809, when Lord Byron visited the property, the house was already in ruins. The estate’s sublime appearance was a source of inspiration for the poet, who sang of the beauty of Monserrate in his poem “Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage”, after which it became obligatory for foreign travellers to visit the property.

One of the most famous visitors was Francis Cook, another extremely wealthy English industrialist, who was later decorated by King Luís with the title of Viscount of Monserrate and subrogated the estate in 1856.

Over the years, the surrounding gardens have welcomed plant species from all over the world. Organised according to geographical areas (perhaps most notably that of Mexico), the gardens reflect the diverse origins of the plants, composing different scenic effects along the paths that lead you through ruins and hidden nooks and crannies, past lakes and waterfalls. It was, therefore, thanks to the intervention of the painter William Stockdale and the master gardener Francis Burt, but above all the romantic spirit of Francis Cook, that the Park of Monserrate grew to become what it is today.

In the various gardens, as you walk along winding paths and commune with spontaneously growing species from the region (such as strawberry trees, holly bushes and imposing cork-trees), you will find surprisingly contrasting scenery, with the sudden appearance of age-old araucarias and palm-trees, and tree ferns from Australia and New Zealand, as well as agaves and yuccas recreating a corner of Mexico. This walk through the botanical delights of five continents also offers you camellias, azaleas, rhododendrons and bamboos, evoking memories of a Japanese garden.

The estate and the Palace were bought by the Portuguese State in 1949. The Park and Palace of Monserrate were classified as a Property of Public Interest in 1993, and were included in the Cultural Landscape of Sintra, which has been classified by UNESCO as World Heritage since 1995.

In 2000, responsibility for the management of the estate was transferred to Parques de Sintra, which embarked upon a profound programme of recovery and restoration work. This has made it possible to reopen the Palace to the public, while returning the Park’s historic gardens to their former glory.

In 2013, the Park of Monserrate was distinguished with a European Garden Award under the category of the “Best Development of a Historic Park or Garden”.

According to legend, there was a chapel dedicated to Virgin Mary built by Afonso Henriques after the reconquest of Sintra . On its ruins another chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Monserrate was constructed on the top of the hill in 1540. The estate was then owned by Hospital Real de Todos os Santos, Lisbon. In the 17th century possession of the property was taken by the Mello e Castro family but after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake the farmhouse became unlivable.

An English merchant named Gerard de Visme rented the farm in 1789 and built a neo-Gothic house over the ruins of the chapel. In 1793-1794 the estate was subleased by William Thomas Beckford who started to design a landscaped garden. Though the property was still in ruins when Lord Byron visited in 1809, its magnificent appearance inspired the poet, who mentioned of the beauty of Monserrate in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. After that, the property attracted foreign travelers’ attention.

One of them was Francis Cook, a wealthy English merchant who subleased the estate in 1856 and was graced with the title of Viscount of Monserrate by King D. Louis. Cook purchased the property in 1863 and started to work with the architect James Knowles on the remains of the house built by de Visme. The Palace became the summer residence of the Cook family.

The design was influenced by Romanticism and Mudéjar Moorish Revival architecture with Neo-Gothic elements. The eclecticism is a fine example of the Sintra Romanticism, along with other nearby Palaces, such as the Pena Palace and the Quinta do Relógio. The Islamic architectural influence is in reference to when the region was a part of the wider Muslim Gharb Al-Andalus until the 13th century.

The property and hunting grounds were acquired by the Portuguese state in 1949. In 1978 the Park and Palace of Monserrate were categorized as a building of public interest. In 1995 Sintra Hills, including the Park of Monserrate, was defined as a World Heritage Cultural Landscape by UNESCO. The management of the Park of Monserrate was taken over by the Sintra Park in 2000 and its recovery and restoration program enabled the Palace to re-open to the public.