Sintra…Serra da Lua as a celtic designation, Mons Lunae for the Romans or Suntria in the early mid ages, is a very special place. Magical and mysterious! As a matter of fact, magical or not, when at night as children we walked home by the narrow curled roads, we always managed to spot twinkling lights and fairies. Sadly we grew up and it stopped…maybe only the pure of heart can see them, not the o
ld sinners. The place has been inhabited since very old times, the Neolithic. Celtics, Romans and Arabs from the VIIth ti the Xth centuries, built their villages, castles and palaces. The Moorish legacy has been of paramount influence. Some of their constructions can still be found. In 1147 the first Portuguese king, D. Afonso Henriques, conquered the place and expelled the Muslims. Sintra still has the mystery, legends and myths from the early days. While wandering around the narrow, very narrow streets, stairs and alleys, a green hug involves the visitors with subtle fragrances while the merry sounds of crystal clear waters running around the rocky slopes play in the quietness. It has been the cradle for the Romanticism and a cultural spot of great importance in Portugal. Artists, intellectuals and many wise men found in Sintra a place where to think, dream, create and relax. Byron, Richard Southey, Hans C. Anderson, Richard Strauss, Camões,Garret, Herculano and Eça de Queiroz were some of them. UNESCO declared Sintra Cultural and Natural World Heritage in 1995. Pena’s Palace ( formerly Penha ) and Park, the Countess D’Elba Chalet, the National Sintra Palace ( Palácio da Vila ), Monserrate Park and Palace, Quinta da Regaleira and it’s surroundings and obviously the Moorish Castle where everything started in 1147, are some of the notorious spots to be seen. In the old village, not far from the center, is our house. It has been built before the devastating 1755 earthquake, referred by Voltaire, Kant and Goethe that destroyed Lisbon and seriously damaged Sintra, The house resisted. It was built in 1748 upon very ancient walls discovered in the last century during some repairs. It was built before the Lawrence’s Hotel inauguration in 1764, the oldest hotel in the Iberian Peninsula. It belonged to our Great Grandfather. From the original design it only underwent some minor alterations in order to enhance a little comfort. The spruce, tiles and stone floors, the fresco paintings in some rooms as well as the tile panels in some walls, together with some other rustic structures testify the very ancient origins. It will be a great pleasure to receive you in our Home for moments of comfortable relaxation and interaction in this place full of our memories.
