Romantic architecture in Portugal
The palaces of Sintra
The city of Sintra in Portugal is incredible, in addition to the exuberant nature and impressive landscapes, we can also visit and contemplate great examples of romantic architecture in its palaces.
A city that seems to have been taken from a fairy tale legend is quite different from the country’s capital and famous neighbor, Lisbon, which is only 28km away and offers easy and quick access both by car and by train.
But what is romanticism anyway?
Romanticism is a cultural movement that occurred between the XVIII and XIX centuries and reached painting, literature, and architecture, having as some of its main characteristics: the exotic, the lyrical, the subjective, the exaggeration, the pessimism, the appreciation for death, the religiosity, the denunciation of the evils and vices of society, among others.
Architectural romanticism in turn was centered on trying to provoke emotions such as nostalgia for a glorious past often based on European nationalism, enhancing the beauty of nature and even, through fear and horror. He makes use of many types of ornaments, both indoors and outdoors, and most of the time he went for the classic look that gave the idea of being much older than it really is.
