Palace of Queluz

Image:GianonewplanQueluz.JPG|left|300px|thumb|Simplified diagram showing layout of the palace (not to scale). This key is referred to throughout the articleClick on numbers for images and detail. circle 735 313 42 1.Cour d'honneur and monument to Maria rect 526 255 606 396 2.Entrance façade rect 289 274 381 346 3.Court of the corps de logis rect 253 238 419 392 4.Ceremonial façade circle 330 591 59 5.Triton fountain in the Hanging Garden rect 577 648 665 793 6.Ogee pediment rect 111 658 190 949 7.Magnolia avenue rect 112 549 199 656 8.South facade of the Robillon wing rect 132 330 201 546 9.Robillon wing rect 172 279 247 331 10.Colonnade rect 92 202 183 311 11.Robillon entrance steps rect 642 423 784 566 12.Chapel and dome rect 511 166 608 246 13.North wing rect 260 6 574 156 14.Topiary parterre rect 791 2 828 949 15.Road circle 721 717 34 16. Another view rect 3 6 863 948 Use button to enlarge or cursor to see more desc none Queluz's architecture is representative of an extravagant period of Portuguese culture, which followed the discovery of Brazilian gold in 1690. From the beginning of the 18th century, many foreign artists and architects were employed in Portugal to satisfy the demands of the newly enriched aristocracy; they brought with them classical ideas of architecture which derived from the Renaissance. In its design, Queluz is a revolt against the earlier, heavier, Italian-influenced Baroque, which preceded the Rococo style throughout Europe. whereas the smaller palace at Queluz has been described as "exquisite rather than magnificent" and looking like "a very expensive birthday cake". In its frivolity, the architecture of Queluz reflects the lifestyle led by the Portuguese royal family at the time of its construction; during the reign of Peter of Braganza's brother, Joseph I. At this time, Portugal was, in practice, governed by a valido—or favourite, Sebastião de Melo, Marquis of Pombal. Pombal encouraged the royal family to while away their days in the country and leave affairs of state to him. The site chosen for the proposed summer retreat was in a secluded hollow. It had originally been owned by Manuel de Moura y Corte Real, 2nd Marquis of Castel Rodrigo. When the ruling Spanish were driven from Portugal in 1640, the Marquis was accused of having collaborated with the Spanish and the property was seized by the Portuguese Crown. The estate, and its hunting lodge, then became one of the many properties of the Portuguese king, John IV. He set it aside as one of the properties reserved for the second son of the reigning monarch. Thus it came into the hands of Peter of Braganza, the second son of John V. The architect Mateus Vicente de Oliveira had trained under João Frederico Ludovice and during the construction of the royal Palace of Mafra and its monastery. The larger, sombre, and classical Mafra does not appear to have influenced the design for Queluz, which is in a lighter, more airy style. ==Exterior==

. Architecturally the most severe of the palace's many façades, it gives no hint of the architectural excesses beyond (see key 2). (see key 11). The public façade of the palace faces directly onto a town square and takes the form of two low, symmetrical, quadrant wings which flank the forward-reaching wings of a small central corps de logis, thus forming a semi-circular ''cour d'honneur (see key 1''). The southern quadrant wing is terminated by the onion domed chapel, while the northern one contains the kitchens and servants' quarters (see keys 2, 1 and 13). The only decoration on this façade comes from the simple classical pediments above the windows. The façade, which is most readily seen from the town, presents a decorous and impassive public face with one of the most architecturally severe elevations of the palace. In 1760, Pombal arranged for King Joseph I's brother, Peter of Braganza, to marry Joseph I's daughter, Maria; heiress to the throne. Pombal then encouraged the couple to live with their children in the unfinished palace at Queluz, away from the seat of government. It had been a favourite retreat of the couple and was their principal home before Maria I's accession. Further additions were made to reflect the palace's elevation from country retreat to royal palace. However, the Queen dismissed Pombal on her accession. She felt that, as a ruling monarch, she did not have time to while away her hours in the country. Peter III interfered little in affairs of state, preferring to spend his time on religious matters and hunting. By the time of Peter III's death in 1786, all of the interior work had been completed. However, after her husband's death, the Queen's mental health began to dramatically deteriorate. By 1794, she and her court took up official, full-time residence at Queluz so that the Queen could be hidden from the view of her subjects. Her eldest son, future King John VI, was then appointed Regent and ruled in her stead from Lisbon at the Palace of Mafra. In 2004, the World Monuments Fund began a program to restore the lead sculptures by British sculptor John Cheere, as well as some of the other features of the garden. The project is ongoing. == Interior ==

The interior of the palace received no less attention to detail and design than the exterior. French artisans were employed to decorate the rooms, many of which are small; their walls and ceilings painted to depict allegorical and historical scenes. Polished red bricks were frequently used as flooring, to give a rustic appearance, as well as to help keep rooms cooler in hot weather. Many of the palace's rooms were severely damaged by fire in 1934, and much was lost. The state apartments Sala das Mangas The Sala das Mangas (the only room in the state apartments to survive the 1934 fire intact) is a long gallery lined with tiled wall panels. The gallery leads to the enfilade of state rooms, all of which have been fully restored. The formal rooms of the palace consist of three large halls: The Sala dos Embaixadores, The Music Room, and the Ball Room. Other smaller rooms include the Gun Room (where hunting parties would assemble), which is a frescoed salon, painted with trees and foliage by Pillement. The Music Room The Music Room, which follows the Sala dos Embaixadores, is decorated with gilded and painted wood and was redesigned in 1768. The ceiling inset with painted cartouches is notable for the intricate, ribbed scheme of its design, similar to that of the vestibule at Caserta. The Music Room is decorated in a more neoclassical style than the other state rooms, reflecting its redesign in the period following the Baroque-Rococo in the final half of the 18th century. This room was the setting for the large concerts for which the palace was famous. The room still contains the Empire style grand piano, decorated with gilt appliqués. was designed by Robillon in 1760. To create this oval room, the architect combined five smaller rooms. The ormolu Rococo ornamentation takes the form of heavy gilding on the walls and ceiling, of such richness, that it has been compared to that of François de Cuvilliés' Amalienburg at Schloss Nymphenburg. Sala dos Embaixadores The Sala dos Embaixadores (Hall of Ambassadors), sometimes called the throne room or the Hall of Mirrors, was designed by Robillon in 1757 and is one of the largest reception rooms in the palace. The Chapel During the occupancy of the palace by Queen Maria I and King Peter III, the chapel was central to the daily routine of their court. It was no coincidence that the chapel was the first part of the palace to be completed and was consecrated as early as 1752. Religion was one of Peter III's favourite interests. During the reign of his wife, he attended to matters spiritual and she to matters temporal. The Queen's interest in religion was, however, no less fevered than that of her husband and the couple attended mass several times a day. Private apartments The private rooms of the palace are far smaller, and more intimate, than the formal state rooms and contain many royal mementos and curios which belonged to the rooms' former occupants. Among the more remarkable rooms in this suite are the Sala das Merendas, the Queen's Boudoir, and the King's Bedroom. Sala das Merendas This was the royal family's private dining room. The decoration continues the theme used in some of the more formal and public rooms, with tiled panels illustrating courtiers in sylvan poses. These panels, like much other work in the palace, were produced by João Valentim and José Conrado Rosa. The Queen's Boudoir This was one of the private rooms used by Maria I during her time at Queluz. It is designed in the form of a bower, with a trellis pattern on the ceiling, which is reflected in the design of the marquetry floor, giving the impression of being in a pergola rather than an interior. Next to the boudoir is the Queen's bedroom; it was from this light and airy room that the shrieks of the mentally ill Queen were reported by William Beckford, while visiting the palace in 1794. The King's Bedroom The King's Bedroom has been described as one of the most "fantastic" rooms in the palace. Although actually square, it gives the illusion of being completely circular, with a domed ceiling supported by columns of mirrored glass. Between the columns are cartouches depicting scenes from the tales of Don Quixote. King Pedro IV died in this room in 1834; the same room where he had been born in 1798. The room contains a large bust of the King showing his "pendulous jowls and unattractive face". == Grounds ==

Queluz is famed for the glory of its gardens, Formal terraces and walkways are given extra interest by statuary and fountains. The dominant feature of the principal parterre is the Portico dos Cavalinhos, a garden temple flanked by two allegorical equestrian statues depicting Fames and two sphinxes surreally dressed in 18th-century costume—combining the formal and the fantastic. This surreal theme continues elsewhere in the gardens where such motifs as the rape of the Sabines and the death of Abel alternate with statuary of donkeys dressed in human clothing. Deeper in the gardens is a grotto complete with a cascade. Later to be a popular feature in Portuguese gardens, the Queluz cascade was the first artificial waterfall to be constructed near Lisbon. The gardens also contain a fountain with tritons and dolphins which has been attributed to Bernini. There are further fountains and statuary in the lower gardens, including an important collection of statues by the British sculptor John Cheere (1709–1787). These gardens are set within tall hedges of yew and cypress, as well as magnolia and mulberry trees planted by Jean-Andoche Junot during the French occupation in the Napoleonic Wars. == Later history ==

of the chapel. This was the first part of the palace to be completed. One of the two quadrant wings of the cour d'honneur can be seen to the right. A main road passes within metres of the palace (see key 15). Following a fire at the Palace of Ajuda in 1794, the Prince Regent John and his wife Carlota Joaquina of Spain began to use Queluz themselves. The Robillon wing was enlarged and given an upper floor for the use of the princess and her nine children. These additions were destroyed in the fire of 1934. is said to have been ambitious and violent. Her features were reportedly unattractive, and she was short in stature. However, she lived in great style at Queluz, employing an orchestra there which William Beckford described as the finest in Europe. The Queen also had a small private theatre in the gardens, of which nothing remains today. She died at the palace in 1830. Following the death of Carlota Joaquina, Queluz saw only intermittent use as a royal residence and was not again the primary residence of Portuguese royalty. John VI and Carlota Joaquina's son King Miguel I used the palace during the three-year civil war he waged against his eldest brother and the former King Peter IV, who was now the reigning Emperor Peter I of Brazil, over the matter of the Portuguese succession before then being forced by Peter IV to abdicate and go into exile in 1834. A year later, Peter IV died of tuberculosis at the age of 35 at Queluz, the place of his birth. Peter IV's daughter Maria II ruled until her death in 1853 and was succeeded by her son Peter V. Following Peter V's untimely death during the cholera epidemic of 1861, the throne passed to his brother Luís I. From this time on, the royal family lived chiefly at the rebuilt Ajuda Palace in Lisbon and Pena Palace in Sintra, whereupon Queluz became disused. Upon the assassination of Luís' son Carlos I in 1908, the palace passed into the ownership of the state. Portugal was in the turmoil of revolution and the monarchy fell two years later. == National Monument ==

In the 21st century, the palace gardens, once an irrigated oasis in the centre of parched farmland, are bounded by the Radial de Sintra motorway which feeds traffic towards Lisbon and away from Sintra. However, transportation and tourism have been important infrastructural catalysts for the palace's maintenance and management. Since 1940, it has been open to the public as a museum. It houses much of the former royal collection, including furniture, Arraiolos carpets, paintings, and Chinese and European ceramics and porcelain. The town square that the palace faces, Largo do Palácio de Queluz, remains relatively unaltered since the 18th century. The large houses, once the homes of courtiers, and the former Royal Guard quarters with its campanile are still clustered around the palace. In latter years, the town of Queluz has expanded considerably to become one of the suburbs of Lisbon. The Palace of Queluz is one of the most notable public landmarks in the Lisbon metropolitan area. == State guest house ==

The Pavilhão de D. Maria I (Queen Maria I Pavilion), which makes up the palace's southernmost wing, was built during the third, and final, construction phase, executed by Manuel Caetano de Sousa, which lasted from 1786—the year of King Peter III's death—until 1792. In 1957, the Queen Maria I Pavilion was renovated to serve as the Portuguese Government's official state guest house, for visiting heads of state and government. Today, the pavilion continues to house visiting dignitaries. Therefore, its state rooms are only open to the public during pre-booked tours. ==See also==