King João V, “the Magnanimous” (1689-1750), commissioned the construction of the Palace-Convent in the town of Mafra to meet a promise he made prior to the Queen making him heir to the throne.

This grandiose monument, built at a time of great royal prosperity resulting from the exploration of gold and diamonds in Brazil, represents a high-water mark in the Portuguese Baroque.

The National Hunting Grounds of Mafra were established in 1747 with the objective of providing surroundings appropriate to the Monument along with providing a recreational hunting ground for the King and his Court and in addition to supplying firewood and other products to the Convent.

Covering an area of 1,187 hectares, the Royal Hunting Grounds of Mafra were entirely surrounded by a worked limestone wall across a length of 16 Km.