Mafra National Palace

The vast majority of visitors to Mafra come for one reason: The Mafra National Palace. And, for good reason. It’s spectacular!

Mafra National Palace origin story

The king of Portugal, João V, made a promise that if his wife produced an heir, he would build a magnificent convent. When Maria Bárbara (the future Queen of Spain) was born, João made good on his promise and construction began in 1717.

Construction, which took 38 years, was funded by slave labor and the theft of gold and diamonds from colonial Brazil. The massive project required as many as 45,000 workers on site. A hospital was built in the palace to help workers recover from injuries suffered on the job. It was so dangerous that almost 1,400 workers died during construction. Thousands of others were injured, some severely.

In 1755, the project was deemed completed, not because it was actually finished, but because the devastating earthquake that had left Lisbon in ruins required the workers to start rebuilding the city.

Apparently, the king wasn’t thrilled with result, and the palace was never occupied full time, although he would stay there when using the nearby Tapada hunting grounds.

During the Napoleonic Wars, Portugal was invaded by France and the royal family fled to Brazil, taking much of the valuable artwork and furniture from the palace with them. When religious orders were dissolved in 1834, the monastery was abandoned and taken over by the military.

The Portuguese monarchy was overthrown in 1910. Portugal’s last king, Manuel II, stayed at the palace on his way to exile in the UK.

Inside the Palace

The palace’s façade is 220 meters long (over 720 feet), centered by the basilica entrance. It’s really hard to fathom the size of this structure, but knowing that there’s 1,400 rooms gives you an idea of the scale.

The entranceway to the church is decorated with statues of saints and local marble. Inside are several 18th century paintings, but you’ll be in awe of the soaring cupola held aloft by white and rose marble columns.

Inside the palace itself, you can see more of the enormous wealth generated by the slave trade and colonialization. Gold and artwork abound.

It’s easy to see why King João V was known as the Portuguese Sun King (o Rei-Sol Português). The walls are filled with paintings of men in powdered wigs and women with high hair and pearls that put in mind the original Sun King, Louis XIV of France. Even the decorations, like the billiard room have a Franco look.

The Rococo (Late Baroque) library is the highlight of the palace. Ornately decorated, as was the Rococo style, the library is absolutely massive. 88 meters (almost 290 feet) long, the shelves are packed with 36,000 books, kept safe from insect damage by colonies of bats that live in the library and devour any vermin that could munch on the priceless pages.

Jardim do Cerco

Behind the palace is the Jardim do Cerco. Covering 9 hectares (about 22 acres), the space was originally for the Franciscan Friars who lived in the palace’s monastery.

There’s several pathways leading to formal gardens and more natural settings. There’s even a little vegetable and herb garden, lovingly tended by workers.

If you get some provisions from the nearby Mercado Municipal, you can have a picnic in the garden. It’s quite the peaceful respite after the tourist crush in the palace.

Getting to the Mafra National Palace

Mafra is an easy daytrip from Lisbon.

The best way to get there is by the frequent bus from the Campo Grande station. Check the schedule for the best ones that take 45 minutes. Other buses make more stops and take over an hour. You can also drive to Mafra from Lisbon in about 30 minutes.

There’s a train, but the station is quite a ways out of town (30 minute drive of 2 hour walk) making it useless to get to Mafra.

Mafra itself is compact, flat and walkable. There’s also local bus service if you need it.

About the Author

Brent Petersen is the Editor-in-Chief of Destination Eat Drink. He currently resides in Setubal, Portugal. Brent has written the novel “Truffle Hunt” (Eckhartz Press) and the short story collection “That Bird.” He’s also written dozens of foodie travel guides to cities around the world on Destination Eat Drink, including in-depth eating and drinking guides in Portugal for Lisbon, Porto, Sintra, Évora, Braga, Loulé, Almada, Monsaraz, and Batalha. Brent’s podcast, also called Destination Eat Drink, is available on all major podcasting platforms.