Quinta da Regaleira - Sintra

Luigi Manini’s intervention at Quinta da Regaleira moves away from the model of the picturesque garden of the 1st half of the 19th century. The structure of the park, determined by the morphology of the terrain, is outlined based on a main path that crosses the property, from which a network of tracks and lanes wind across flowerbeds, gaining winding shapes and creating an illusion of spontaneous incompleteness. It is a garden to be experienced in constant motion, stimulating the imagination through a variety of contrasts and scenes. The monumental trees, the play of light, the water effects, and the fanciful architecture instil a sentimental perception of the spaces, in the dramatic style of Romanticism. Construction began in 1898 with the works on the foundations of buildings, embankments and the ingenious network for abstracting and distributing water. In 1903, part of the exotic vegetation was imported from Brazil and by 1908, the construction of the palace and chapel, together with the renovation of the greenhouse and large iron gates and railings, were completed. By 1912, the property was virtually complete.