Mafra - Palácio Nacional de Mafra

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Basilica da Estrela. It is flanked by twin towers 68m/223ft high which are smoothly integrated into the front of the palace. The carillon of 114 bells was made by an Antwerp bell founder named Lavache. Through the vestibule of the church, with 14 statues of saints in Carrara marble by the Italian sculptor Alexandre Giusti, lies the aisleless exterior faced with limestone. The ground plan of the church is in the shape of a Roman cross. It is 58.5m/192ft long and 43m/141ft wide at the crossing. It took two years to construct the crossing dome (65m/213ft high, 13m/43ft across) and its 2m/6.5ft side lantern. The interior has a coffered barrel vaulted ceiling and 62 fluted pillars. Various types of marble pink, white, black, gray, blue and yellow were combined in a geometric pattern. The influences of German Baroque and Italian Classicism are evident; the architect Johann Friedrich Ludwig is thought to have derived inspiration from St Peter's Church in the Vatican and the Jesus Church in Rome. Also striking are the six organs constructed for Joao V between 1792 and 1807 in accordance with plans drawn up by the organ builders Joaquim António Peres Fontanes and António Xavier Machado.

The church has eleven chapels. Until well into the 18th century oil paintings by Portuguese and Italian masters hung here. However, they were damaged by the high humidity to the extent that they had to be replaced by the bas reliefs in Carrara marble that we see today. The altar pieces in the large chapels in the crossing are the combined work of Alexandre Giusti and his famous pupil Machado de Castro. The marble statues in the side chapels are of various saints; they were completed in Italy and then brought to Mafra. Together with the statues on the exterior facade and in the vestibule they represent the most important collection of works by Italian sculptors to be found anywhere in Portugal.