Customer Reviews

The National Palace, Sintra

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The National Palace in Sintra was once a royal palace, but is now a museum owned by the Portuguese State. Located the pretty town of Sintra (a short distance west of Lisbon), it is of particular architectural interest because it is apparently the only surviving palace in Portugal that retains its mediaeval character. It was also the favourite residence of many Portuguese monarchs.

This is the official guidebook, published by Scala. It has an introduction describing the history of the palace, and then goes on to describe the main locations visited on the official tour. There is a map, a number of broad vista photos of the palace from a variety of angles, and at least one photo for every stop on the tour.

Souvenir guide books generally suffer from at least one of two faults: outdated photos and poorly written text. This book has neither. The photos are recent and very crisp, with a balance between whole-room views and decorative details. The text is well written and imparts plenty of information. The tone is scholarly but very readable, with no royal gossip or dumbing-down.

This book gives a good impression of what it's like to walk through the palace, admiring its tiled walls, painted ceilings and lovely views. As a souvenir of a wonderful place to visit, especially for the size and price, it's excellent.