DK Travel : Lisbon : Palácio de Queluz

Palácio de Queluz

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Queluz is like a miniature Versailles – an exquisite Rococo palace with formal gardens and parkland, just 15 minutes from central Lisbon. Prince Pedro, younger son of Dom João V, had it built as a summer palace in 1747–52. Thirteen years later, when he married his niece the future Dona Maria I, he commissioned Jean-Baptiste Robillon to design extensions to make it the permanent royal residence. Queluz had a brief golden era before the royal family fled to Brazil after Napoleon’s invasion in 1807.
An early-morning visit to Queluz can be usefully combined with a trip to Sintra , but remember that Sintra’s national palace is closed on Wednesdays, unlike other monuments and museums. The terrace at the Pousada is easily the best place for a drink – unless you have an invitation to an event in the palace itself. See Pousada Dona Maria I

Top 10 Features

1. Gardens

1. Gardens

Two formal gardens, the Neptune Garden and Malta Garden, fill the space between the palace’s two asymmetric wings. Laid out by a Dutch landscape architect, they once included a small bullring.
2. Robillon Pavilion

This warmly pink building, replete with windows, balustrades and pillars, is a bit too fussy and overloaded for purists. It was designed by French architect Robillon.
3. Don Quixote Chamber

3. Don Quixote Chamber

The inlaid circular-pattern floor and domed ceiling make this square room look round. It is named for painted scenes from Don Quixote.
4. Lion Staircase

4. Lion Staircase

This beautifully flowing staircase links the lower parkland area to the palace and formal gardens. It is flanked by an arcaded “dwarf gallery” with a water cascade flowing into a tiled canal; here, the royal family went boating.
5. Sala dos Embaixadores

5. Sala dos Embaixadores

The magnificent Ambassadors’ Room was used for diplomatic audiences, and is opulently decorated with stucco work and painted and gilded carved woodwork. The trompe l’oeil ceiling depicts the royal family at a concert, for which purpose the room was also used.
6. Corredor das Mangas

6. Corredor das Mangas

The hallway linking the old and newer parts of Queluz was named for the glass cylinders, or sleeves (mangas), of its candles. It is also called the Corredor dos Azulejos, after its painted wall tiles.
7. Chapel

The chapel was the first part of the palace to be completed, in 1752. It was also used for concerts, some by Dona Maria I’s own chamber orchestra. She and her sisters are said to have painted some of the wall panels.
8. Music Room

8. Music Room

The Music Room was used for concerts and even opera performances, and doubled as a venue for important christenings. It still acts as a concert venue.
9. Throne Room

Competing in grandeur with the Ambassadors’ Room, and with a magnificent oval, domed ceiling, the Throne Room also served as ballroom, church and theatre – and for lying-in-state.
10. Cozinha Velha and Pousada Dona Maria I

10. Cozinha Velha and Pousada Dona Maria I

The old palace kitchens have long housed the fine Cozinha Velha restaurant. The newer Pousada Dona Maria I, in the former quarters of the Royal Guard, is as close as you’ll get to living at Queluz.

Practical Information

An early-morning visit to Queluz can be usefully combined with a trip to Sintra , but remember that Sintra’s national palace is closed on Wednesdays, unlike other monuments and museums. The terrace at the Pousada is easily the best place for a drink – unless you have an invitation to an event in the palace itself. Largo do Palácio 21 434 38 60 Open 9:30am–5pm Wed–Mon; gardens open later Admission €4 (concessions €2; under-14s free)