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Romanticism Cathedral
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| Photo Information |
Copyright: Paolo Motta (Paolo)
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4701 W: 146 N: 9063]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-g-g.gif) (39869) |
| Genre: Places |
| Medium: Color |
| Date Taken: 1999-02 |
| Categories: Architecture |
| Camera: Nikon N80 |
| Photo Version: Original Version |
| Date Submitted: 2008-07-11 0:54 |
| Viewed: 363 |
| Points: 16 |
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
The Pena National Palace is the oldest palace of the European Romanticism.
It is located in the civil parish of São Pedro de Penaferrim, municipality of Sintra, Portugal. The palace stands on the top of a hill above the town of Sintra, and on a clear day it can be easily seen from Lisbon and much of its metropolitan area.
The palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal.
The palace's history started in the Middle Ages when a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Pena was built on the top of the hill above Sintra. According to tradition, the construction occurred after an apparition of the Virgin Mary. In 1493, King John II, accompanied by his wife Queen Leonor, made a pilgrimage to the site to fulfill a vow. His successor, King Manuel I, was also very fond of this sanctuary, and ordered the construction there of a monastery which was donated to the Order of Saint Jerome. For centuries Pena was a small, quiet place for meditation, housing a maximum of eighteen monks.
In the 18th century the monastery was severely damaged by lightning. However, it was the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755, occurring shortly afterwards, that took the heaviest toll on the monastery, reducing it to ruins. Nonetheless, the chapel (and its magnificent works of marble and alabaster attributed to Nicolau Chanterene) escaped without significant damage.
For many decades the ruins remained untouched, but they still astonished young prince Ferdinand. In 1838, as King consort Ferdinand II, he decided to acquire the old monastery, all of the surrounding lands, the nearby Castle of the Moors and a few other estates in the area. King Ferdinand then set out to transform the remains of the monastery into a palace that would serve as a summer residence for the Portuguese royal family. The commission for the Romantic style rebuilding was given to Lieutenant-General and mining engineer Baron Wilhelm Ludwig von Eschwege. Eschwege, a German amateur architect, was much traveled and likely had knowledge of several castles along the Rhine river. The construction took place between 1842-1854, although it was almost completed in 1847: King Ferdinand and Queen Maria II intervened decisively on matters of decoration and symbolism. Among others, the King suggested vault arches, Medieval and Islamic elements be included, and he also designed an exquisitely ornate window for the main façade (inspired by the chapter house window of the Convent of the Order of Christ in Tomar).
The Pena Palace has a profusion of styles much in accordance with the exotic taste of the Romanticism. The intentional mixture of eclectic styles includes the Neo-Gothic, Neo-Manueline, Islamic and Neo-Renaissance. References to other prominent Portuguese buildings such as the Belém Tower are also present.
*Scanned image* |
robertosalguero, Jeppo, jhm, rigoletto, Silversnow, riclopes has marked this note useful
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Hi Paolo,
Nice quality for a scanned image. The colours seem a bit unreal but overall the image is very nice. The angle used to take this image is also very effective as it make the sky a strong addition in the background. Nice work Paolo.
Roberto
- Gerrit
(24779)
- [2008-07-11 4:35]
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Hi Paolo,
great composition and fabntastic coloring. Impressive building from this POV .
Regards, Gerrit
Olá Paolo,
Uma outra perspectiva deste belo Palácio. Pov baixo bem visto para esta foto, cores saturadas contrastadas dão uma bela imagem.
Um abraço,
Filipe
Ciao Paolo, gran bel POV per questa fantastica cattedrale che si staglia magnificamente su uno splendido cielo, bravo, ciao Silvio
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- jhm
(66518)
- [2008-07-16 10:34]
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Hello Paolo,
Perhaps I am agree with previous writers, the colours are nice but little bit unreal.
I look it with pleasure to your picture also the perspective is very well.
Nice done, TFS.
Best regards,
John.
Ciao Paolo,
I think it is the first time i see a photo of this famous place. Your low POV increases the grandeur of the architecture. Nice saturation work, yet pity for the scannig quality.
Cheers,
Deniz
Very nice architectural composition, too bad the picture got some jpeg artifacts visible.
Love this one, Paolo. 1999? You've been everywhere in the world...Superb colors, great vertical composition, making this incredible architecture even more beautiful. Congrats.
ciao,
ric
