Museums – Page 5 – WANDERLUST FAMILY ADVENTURE

Queluz Palace – Queluz, Portugal

September 27, 2020 Rita Aguilar Architecture, Art/Painting, Botanical Garden, Castle, Europe, Historic Markers, Historic Sites, Memorials, Museums, Portugal

The Palace of Queluz is an 18th-century palace located at Queluz, a city of the Sintra Municipality, in the Lisbon District, on the Portuguese Riviera. One of the last great Rococo buildings to be designed in Europe, the palace was conceived as a summer retreat for Dom Pedro of Braganza, later to become husband and then king consort to his own niece, Queen Maria I. It served as a discreet place of incarceration for Queen Maria as her descent into madness continued in the years following Dom Pedro’s death in 1786. Following the destruction by fire of the Ajuda Palace in 1794, Queluz Palace became the official residence of the Portuguese prince regent John VI, and his family and remained so until the royal family fled to the Portuguese colony of Brazil in 1807 following the French invasion of Portugal. Work on the palace began in 1747 under Portuguese architect Mateus Vicente de Oliveira. Despite being far smaller, the palace is often referred to as the Portuguese Versailles. One wing of the palace, the Queen Maria I Pavilion, built by Manuel Caetano de Sousa, is currently used as Portugal’s official state guest house, allocated to foreign heads of state.
The grounds and gardens of the palace are a great place to start your exploration.

New photo by Wanderlust Family Adventure / Google Photos

The statue of Maria I is on the grounds.

Other statues also adorn the grounds.

The Queluz Canal is beautiful with its azulejos tiles.

The Robillion Staircase leads to just one of many beautiful buildings.

The interior is nothing but spectacular.

Lisbon Cathedral – Lisbon, Portugal

September 27, 2020 Rita Aguilar Architecture, Church/Cathedral, Europe, Historic Sites, Lisbon, Memorials, Museums, National Parks Service, Portugal, Statue / Sculpture

The Lisbon Cathedral, often called simply the Sé, is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Lisbon, Portugal. The oldest church in the city is the seat of the Patriarchate of Lisbon. Built in 1147, the cathedral has survived many earthquakes and has been modified, renovated and restored several times. It is nowadays a mix of different architectural styles. It has been classified as a National Monument since 1910.

Navy Museum (Museu de Marinha) – Lisbon, Portugal

September 24, 2020 Rita Aguilar Architecture, Europe, Historic Sites, Lisbon, Museums, Portugal, Statue / Sculpture

The Navy Museum (Portuguese: Museu de Marinha) is a maritime museum in Lisbon, dedicated to all aspects of the history of navigation in Portugal. The museum is administered by the Portuguese Navy and is located in the tourist district of Belém. It occupies a part of the neo-Manueline Western wing of the Jerónimos Monastery with the National Museum of Archaeology, as well as a modern annex built to the North of the monastery.
The exhibits include historical paintings, archaeological items and many scale models of ships used in Portugal since the 15th century, a collection of navigations instruments and maps, royal barges, as well as the Fairey III “Santa Cruz” that crossed the Atlantic in 1923, and the Portuguese Navy’s first aircraft, an FBA Type B flying boat.

The Old Town of Coimbra – Coimbra, Portugal

September 22, 2020 Rita Aguilar Architecture, Church/Cathedral, Coimbra, Europe, Fort/Fortification, Hiking, Historic Markers, Historic Sites, Memorials, Museums, Portugal, Statue / Sculpture, UNESCO World Heritage Sites

We took a walk from the Praça do Comercio (Central Square) through the old town of Coimbra up to the UNESCO World Heritage Site University of Coimbra. Passing by the statue of Joaquim António de Aguiar we passed through the Almedina Arch.

We passed through a network of steep little alleys and stairs.

Stairs after stairs,

there were little shops along the way even a cannabis restaurant/shop

after more uphill climbs and stairs we reached the Sé Church

views from opposite the church

after the church we headed back uphill 🙁

We reached the Museu Nacional de Machado de Castro

across from the museum were the stairs to the university

Be sure to check out the post on the University of Coimbra here.
A wonderful (albeit very tiring) walk through the old town. Click on the links in the text for more pictures and in depth posts on each stop.

Mondego River Circle Tour – Coimbra, Portugal

September 18, 2020 Rita Aguilar Architecture, Botanical Garden, Bridges, Canoeing, Coimbra, Europe, Hiking, Historic Sites, Memorials, Museums, Portugal, Rivers, State Parks, Statue / Sculpture

The Mondego River is the center of recreational activity for the City of Coimbra in Portugal. Very close to the old town this section of the river is surrounded by parks and green spaces. The old town gives plenty of options for lunch or snacks. Two bridges one pedestrian and one the major access point over the river into the city provide a nice circle route. Our hotel was conveniently located in the old town so we made our way to the area stopping for lunch at the Restaurant Italia before heading out on our little jaunt. Click on each highlighted link to explore more in-depth each component of the walk.