Park and Palace of Montserrat

Park and Palace of Montserrat is an oriental fairytale located on the hills of Sintra. This place is not so popular among tourists but not less beautiful.

The history of this castle started in the 16th century when the monk Gaspar Preto received permission to build a chapel on the lands belonging to a religious order. Further, in 1601, the Melo e Castro family was renting this land and building on it. And in 1718 they bought it completely.

Don Caetano de Melo e Castro was the Deputy Prime Minister of India and spent almost all the time with his family in Goa. The estate was empty all the time and the earthquake of 1755 also severely destroyed it. He had no time to restore it, and he rented it to a wealthy English merchant Gerard de Visme. He built a small Neo-Gothic palace, but soon returned to England and the estate changed hands again.

It is being subleased to British Member of Parliament William Beckford. He was a well-known art historian and collector, as well as the author of the novel “Vathek”. Beckford continued building the castle. He made a waterfall in the park and planted trees. Young Byron was an admirer of Beckford’s work and spent several months on the estate. After that, he called Park and Palace of Montserrat a truly heavenly place.

Further, Francis Cook, after several years of rent, buys the estate from the Melo e Castro family. After the purchase, the new owner began building the palace and reorganizing the garden. This is what we can now see in the estate of Monserrate. The architect James Thomas Knowles built it. The castle intertwined Italian Gothic with oriental motifs and Portuguese ornaments. 500 people worked in the construction at the same time.

Nearby, he bought 13 more estates to invite friends over. It was a house-museum full of luxury items. The stunning garden surrounded the house on all sides. All year round, something is blooming here. There is a Mexican cactus garden, as well as Australian, Chinese and Japanese. In the territory, you can enjoy the views on waterfalls and a pond with golden carps.

The estate has been owned by the Cook family for three generations. In 1929, in connection with the collapse of the New York Stock Exchange, Cook began to sell his property. So in 1946, antique dealer Saraga Saul bought Monserrate. Within a few years, he sold off all of Cook’s antiques. There is nothing left of the former luxury and wealth. In 1949, the government bought the estate and made a reconstruction there. And in 1995, it became a World Heritage Site.

The Park and Palace of Montserrat is located on a steep slope, so there will be difficulties for the elderly and parents with strollers. Since the major attractions of Sintra are far from here, there are no crowds of tourists here. Therefore, you will not have problems with parking.

Working hours:

• Nov 1 to March, 27  [10:00 – 18:00]
• March 28 to Oct, 30 [9:30 – 19:00]

Tickets: 

• regular ticket – 8€
• under 18 or over 65+ years – 6,5€
• children under 5 years – free

How to get there:

• By bus № 435