Mafra

Portuguese doçaria conventual is one of the country’s greatest culinary traditions.

Based on eggs and sugar, it was developed in convents from the 15th century onwards.

There are many theories why and there is no doubt that the arrival of sugar from Brazil allowed the sweets served in the royal palaces to evolve.

There are myriad theories, from the availability of egg yolks – since the whites were used to launder clothes – to the fact that the nobility was obliged to remain at court and entertained itself by inventing recipes to fill the time.

In the Lisbon region, there are various delicious examples of this art form, of which Fradinhos de Mafra, Pasteis de Belém, Nozes de Cascais and Toucinho do Céu de Odivelas are just a few.

Come and discover the flavours that history created.

José France built a miniature replica of an outer Lisbon village at Sobreiro, on the road between Mafra and Ericeira. The miniature rural scenes and animated figures recreate the practices and customs of the region. Visitors can also travel back in time to an old-style schoolroom, a barber-dentist’s shop and Auntie Helena’s grocery store.

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.

Virtual Tour

Church | Ground floor | 1st floor

 

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The National Palace of Mafra was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019. 

The Royal Palace occupies the noble floor of the Mafra building and the 2 turrets.

The north turret was occupied by the king and the south turret by the queen, and both turrets are linked by a 232-metre gallery – making it Europe’s largest palatial corridor. This building, of about 40,000 m2, housed a Franciscan convent (300 fryers) – and features Campo Santo, the Infirmary, the Elliptical Hall (capitular), the Literary Acts Hall, the Stairway and the Dining Hall.

It boasts a large library thought to be one of the most beautiful in the world. The Royal Building has two carillons with 98 bells – the largest of its time. The Basilica’s 6 organs are pieces of unique heritage worldwide.

The Royal Convent and Palace of Mafra is the most important baroque monument in Portugal. The building covers an area of almost four hectares (37.790 m2), including 1.200 rooms, more than 4.700 doors and windows, 156 stairways and 29 inner yards and courtyards.

Such magnificence was only possible due to the Brazilian gold that poured into the country, allowing the King to carry out his patronage of the arts and the strengthening of royal authority.