Sintra

Cultural Landscape of Sintra*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Image:Nt-sintra1.jpg
State Party	Portugal
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iv, v
Reference	723
Region†	Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription	1995 (19th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO.

Sintra (pron. IPA: ['sĩtɾɐ]) is both a town and a municipality in Portugal, located in the district of Lisbon. The town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on account of its 19th century Romantic architecture.

Sintra has become a major tourist attraction, with many day-trippers visiting from nearby Lisbon. Attractions include the fabulous Pena Palace (19th c.) and the Castelo dos Mouros (reconstructed 19th c.) with a breath-taking view of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, and the summer residence of the kings of Portugal Palácio Nacional de Sintra (largely 15th/16th c.), in the town itself. The Sintra Mountain Range, one of the largest parks in the Lisbon area, (Serra de Sintra) is also a major tourist attraction.

1 History
2 Geography and economy
3 Civil parishes
4 Transportation
5 Twinned cities
6 See also
7 External links

History

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Monserrate Palace.

The town was already described in the 11th century by the Arab geographer Al-Bacr and later by the poets Luís de Camões and Lord Byron (Childe Harold's Pilgrimage - 1809). The Moors built the Castelo dos Mouros in the 8th or 9th century. When Afonso Henriques, with the aid of Crusaders, recaptured Sintra in 1147, much of the castle was destroyed. Only four square towers, the battlements, and the ruins of a Romanesque chapel survived.

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Royal Palace

In 1493, Christopher Columbus sailing for the Spanish crown, was blown off course by gale force winds and fearing for the survival of his ship, spotted the Rock of Sintra. Despite the awkwardness of seeking safe harbor in Portugal, Columbus had no choice under the circumstances and sailed from there into the Port of Lisbon.

In 1507, Diogo Boitac built the Hieronymite monastery of Nossa Senhora da Pena on the nearby hilltop. In 1527 king Manuel I commissioned to Nicolau Chanterene the large, white marble and alabaster altarpiece for the chapel. This retable is his finest work.

In 1808, it was the site of the signing of the controversial Convention of Sintra, which ended the first French invasion of Portugal.

Geography and economy

Major activities in the area are commerce and tourism. Tourists are drawn by the cultural heritage in the town itself, and Sintra-Cascais Natural Park which encompasses the Serra de Sintra and extends to the coastal beaches of the municipality and Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of mainland Europe, which lies 18 kilometres west of Sintra.

Civil parishes

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Palace in Queluz.

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Sintra Palace.

Transportation

Some areas close to Sintra are essentially residential suburbs already in conurbation with Amadora, Odivelas and Lisbon. According to recent statistics, Sintra's suburban railway is the most crowded suburban train system in Europe. Sintra's problems include major pendular movements to Lisbon, with terrible traffic during rush hour on the IC-19 road to Lisbon.

Twinned cities

The following places are sister cities to Sintra:

Omura, Japan
Honolulu, USA

Within the context of development cooperation, Sintra is also linked to:

External links

v • d • e Municipalities of the District of Lisbon
Alenquer · Amadora · Arruda dos Vinhos · Azambuja · Cadaval · Cascais · Lisbon · Loures · Lourinhã · Mafra · Odivelas · Oeiras · Sintra · Sobral de Monte Agraço · Torres Vedras · Vila Franca de Xira