Queluz Palace

Historical reference
Representatives of royal blood visited these lands in the middle of the 17th century. Here were their suburban dwellings. The turning point was 1654 when King João IV decided to create the House of Princes, based in the summer mansion of Queluz. It attracted a lot of attention to the future palace. But only a whole century later, in the 1740s, Pedro III decided to transform the mansion into a summer residence. It was then that the history of the famous palace of Quelush began.
The construction of the residence started in the middle of the 18th century. The first stone laid in 1742, the leading creator of this building was Matius Vicente di Oliveira, an architect at the king's court. In 1767, was completed construction work, and the structure appeared to the royals in its entire splendour.
This light and graceful building belong to the latest examples of the Rococo style in European countries. Reflected all the type's main features in its architecture: light colours, stucco moulding, ornaments, and mirrors to expand the space. A garden laid out around the building. The king brought several statues from trips to England and Italy. In 1749, the residence passed into Mary the Pious, the first queen of Portugal.
At the beginning of the last century, in 1910, Portugal has proclaimed an independent republic. The Queluz Palace and the adjacent garden area received the status of a national monument. A couple of decades later, a big test fell upon the structure - on the night of October 4-5, 1934, a significant part of it was in the grip of a fire. The premises, damaged by the fire element, underwent lengthy restoration procedures and were only opened to the public in the 1940s.
In 2015, another restoration started, the investment amount for which reached 2.8 million euros. Within its framework, installed modernized the infrastructure, a lightning protection system and a video surveillance system, and work was completed, which turned out to be unfinished back in the 1940s.
Today, the main part of the palace premises has turned into a museum, but some continue to accommodate the first persons of foreign states during their visits to Portugal.

What to see
Each room of the Queluz Palace deserves to be examined in detail and with interest. But a few of them are worth highlighting especially. First of all, this is the Throne Room. It is one of the most spacious of all the halls.
The creation of its rich decoration timed to coincide with the wedding of Pedro III and the future Queen Mary I. A whole team of carvers headed by Sylvester de Faria Lobo worked on the decoration of the walls and ceiling. This hall served as a church from time to time: it was here that some of the royal heirs baptized. Today the premises are used for holding official receptions and banquets at the highest level. There are also concerts of classical music.
Another hall communicates with the Throne Hall - the Musical. It is one of the oldest in the Queluz residence. Previously, it hosted operas and performances by musicians for the monarch's family—the room decorated with carvings and massive chandeliers.
The rest of the premises deserve attention: the chapel, the dining room, the archery hall, the royal bedrooms and the queen's dressing room. And this is not the whole list.
The Queluz Garden is also of interest to visitors. His sculptures are incredibly entertaining: here is a collection of works by the British sculptor John Cheer. King Pedro III personally commissioned the bronze statues.

Excursions
Every day at 10:30 is at the palace, and you can join a guided tour. It takes about an hour and a half. You need to pay an additional 5 euros to the ticket price to participate in it. However, it should note that such a tour is available only for those who know Spanish, English or Portuguese.
Travellers and organized groups can also book a separate excursion. It can be done by mail or by calling . Additional information on reservations, ticket prices and opening hours of the facility is available on the official website in the "Parks, Gardens and Monuments" section.
The Summer Palace of Queluz can attribute to the most picturesque places in Lisbon and throughout Portugal. The latest echo of the Rococo style in European culture turned out to be bright and attractive. Its halls and gardens allow you to and measuredly enjoy the beauty of the architecture of past centuries and capture every detail of it.

Opening hours and ticket prices
It is best to plan your trip here, taking into account the opening hours of the palace. It is open daily from 9:00 but closes at 18:00, and you can enter the territory at all until 17:00.
To get inside, you need to pay 9 euros for the entrance. The price of a child ticket and a ticket for older people (over 65) is 7.5 euros. A tour of the Queluz Gardens will cost 4 euros for an adult and 3 euros for a child. Both for visiting the palace and for visiting the garden, family tickets for two adults and two children are also provided for 32 and 12 euros respectively.

How to get there
To get to the palace, you need to move west from Lisbon. You can get to it either on your own or rented car or by public transport— a palace located in the small town of Queluz, 14 kilometres from the capital.
by train: Commuter trains departing from Lisbon from Rossio Station towards Sintra to Queluz-Belas Station.
by walk :15 minutes along Av. António Ennes and Av. da República to the Queluz Palace.