Queluz - Palace of Queluz Palácio Nacional de Queluz

The palace was built between 1747 and 1794 for Pedro III and his wife, later Queen Maria I, originally to the design of the Portuguese architect Mateus Vicente de Oliveira (1706-85), a pupil of the German architect Johann Friedrich Ludwig who built the Convent Palace of Mafra. The central block was complete by 1758, then in 1760 the west wing of the palace was built by the French architect, Jean Baptiste Robillon, who also designed the gardens and many of the rooms. He completed the work in 1794.

The Palácio Nacional de Queluz consisting of a central block and two wings gives the impression of a warm and friendly building and is therefore sometimes compared, not unreasonably, with Frederick the Great's palace of Sanssouci near Berlin. The rich interior decoration is notable for the high quality of the craftsmanship and the sure taste with which the details are contrived and related to one another. Outstanding among the many rooms in the palace are the Throne Room, the Queen's Wardrobe (beautiful azulejo pictures) and the Hunting Room (ceiling paintings of hunting scenes). The Kitchens, also decorated with azulejos, are now occupied by a luxury restaurant, the Cozinha Velha.