Lisbon - Palácio dos Marqueses de Fronteira

By following a long terrace, decorated with mythological figures and 17th C. tiles portraying the arts, a small chapel is reached. It was built in 1584, before the Palácio dos Marqueses de Fronteira was built on the later landholding.

From the chapel, the part of the park known as the Venus Garden, enclosed by the palace and the mountains, is reached. It owes its name to the Venus fountain in the center: three dolphins carry a shell from which the goddess is climbing.

In one corner of the estate is a former pool with many gargoyles, behind this an artificial grotto, whose walls incorporate pieces of broken pottery. It is thought that a royal feast took place at the official opening of the palace; to ensure that the crockery was only used once for this purpose it was broken at the end of the meal and the pieces set into the wall of the grotto. The so called Italian Garden is particularly worth visiting. This approximately 4,000sq.m/43,056sq.ft garden area was laid out in the Italian style in the 17th C. At that time some natural springs were used in the construction of several fountains and a particularly fine large pond. This pond is flanked by two wide flights of steps giving access to a gallery extending the whole length of the pond. Especially impressive is the blue of the 17th C. tiles: they were used to keep away insects and, according to a local explanation, angry ghosts. The tiles with the semi three dimensional pattern of fir cones are of Spanish origin. Busts of former Portuguese kings stand in small niches, hence the name "Kings' Gallery". Blue white tiles on the pool itself depict different knights. A fountain in the middle of the garden bears an armillary sphere as a symbol of Portugal's "Golden Age" and the coat of arms of the Mascarenha family.

On the facade of the palace facing the garden there are a variety of tiled pictures depicting hunting and expedition scenes, allegories of ancient gods and seasons as well as depictions of everyday life. The poet Luis de Camoes can be recognized in one picture.