| Quinta da Ribafria | |
|---|---|
 The palace, as seen from the front | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Renaissance,Manueline |
| Location | Sintra, Portugal |
| Coordinates | 38°49′02″N9°22′22″W / 38.817117°N 9.372664°W /38.817117; -9.372664 |
| Construction started | 1536 |
| Completed | 1541 |
| Owner | Sintra Municipality |
| Part of | Cultural Landscape ofSintra |
| Criteria | Cultural: (ii), (iv), (v) |
| Reference | 723 |
| Inscription | 1995 (19thSession) |
| Type | Non-movable |
| Criteria | Monument of Public Interest |
| Designated | 18 August 1943 |
| Reference no. | IPA.00006107 |
TheQuinta da Ribafria (Ribafria Estate) is situated close toSintra inLisbon District,Portugal. It was built from 1536 to 1541 by Gaspar Gonçalves, a ceremonial official of the Portuguese Royal Household (the "Porteiro-mor" who was responsible for opening the door for visitors to enter the room where the king was), on land donated to him byKing Manuel I in 1515. The property is now owned by the Sintra Municipality.[1]
The land donated by King Manuel I was at the time known as theHerdade das Laranjeiras (Orange Tree Estate), and it still contains many orange trees. Gaspar Gonçalves ordered the construction of a smallRenaissance palace, which also contains elements of theManueline style prevalent in Portugal at that time. On its completion,King John III appointed Gonçalves as Lord of Ribafria and awarded him an officialcoat of arms. The building incorporates a 17th-century tower inspired by medieval Portuguese buildings, which is covered by acornice withmerlonbattlements. The western side has the coat of arms in the stonework. The rest of the building is made up of two parts, but the façade is symmetrical and containsMudéjar battlements inspired by theMosque of Cordoba in Spain and also used in theChurch of Nossa Senhora da Anunciação inMértola, Portugal, which is a converted mosque. The interior has woodencoffered ceilings, which are painted with hunting scenes, as well as floral and marine motifs. There are chapels in the house as well as a small one a short walk away in the woods of the garden. The building is considered a good example of the Portuguese manor house of the time.[1][2]
Some damage was experienced to the buildings as a result of theearthquake in 1755. In 1902 the property was sold to the Count of Cartaxo. His grandson undertook restoration work in the 1960s. From 1987 to 2002 Quinta da Ribafria was home to theFriedrich Naumann Foundation. During this time work was undertaken to improve the garden and add office space in the garden, with the work being supervised by two well-known Portuguese architects,Francisco Caldeira Cabral andGonçalo Ribeiro Telles. The estate was acquired by Sintra Municipality in 2003. After several years of neglect it was taken over by the Cultursintra Foundation (Fundação Cultursintra) and is now used for the display of sculptures and for open-air performances in the summer. The gardens can be visited daily but the house is closed to visitors without a special request.[1][3][4][5][6]
Cultural landscape ofSintra | ||
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| Palaces |  | |
| Religious | ||
| Civic | ||
| Nature | ||
| Miscellaneous | ||
Media related toQuinta dos Ribafrias at Wikimedia Commons