A TIMELESS WORK

Quinta da Regaleira emerges within the Cultural Landscape of Sintra as an example of

Total Work
and expression of a
new mythical territory, where
Philosophy, Art and Nature merge. The enormous
decorative and symbolic profusion of the Regaleira, created with the
talent and virtuosity of the
Italian scenographer and architect
Luigi Manini, veils a
multifaceted and consistent message, of
humanist and spiritual content, which its mentor and owner -
António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro 1848-1920) - wanted to express in this work of passion

The deep knowledge of

classical and
universal Literature, of the
operas of
Romanticism, as well as the
mysteries of Nature, which Carvalho Monteiro studied for half a century, was translated here
into a timeless work, patiently matured, following one of the chosen mottos:
"Festina Lente" - Slowly, I'm in a hurry

Philosopher's Mansion par excellence, it is the result of

indefectible labor and the message is addressed to the

"New Man", devoid of

preconceptions of previous judgment, capable of undertaking the great
Journey of existence and of allowing himself to be moved by
Adventure of getting to know yourself, your
origin and destination, opening the veil over the
mysteries of Life and the Cosmos

Regaleira also assumes a

unique character in the world panorama of gardens, enunciating an
epic landscape in the
recreation of the
A lost paradise that its owner's knowledge about
biodiversity, particularly that of the
New World, allows to evoke - inscribed in a unique way in the tradition of
great European gardens, such as
Bomarzo, Villa d'Este or Fontainebleau - spaces for the
consecration of Nature where
revisits the
classical thought of Plato and Aristotle and where, since the
Renaissance, the great
intuitions of hermeticism.

ART, NATURE & SYMBOL

The set of
six leaflets presented here constitutes the 1st series of the
Art, Nature & Symbol Collection. This collection is designed as a field experience guide,
containing
descriptive and interpretative suggestions about the rich
architectural, decorative, landscape and natural
heritage of Regaleira, leaving, in certain cases,
clues for further reflection, after the visit

Evoking one of the

Latin mottos once inscribed in the
Inside the Palace, we encourage you to take a
fruitful foray into these
enigmatic domains:

Macte Animo- May you not lack courage!

At the heart of the Holy Mountain, this Inner Temple symbolizes the
Kingdom of the Center, the Axis Mundi, the axis that
unites Earth and Heaven.

The Well, shaped like an

inverted tower, has
four accesses at
different levels, each directed to one of the cardinal points. The
upper opening symbolizes the
vertical connection to the
Celestial Sphere

Upper door of the Well

At the level of the last level,
facing south, a
stone door
hidden in the wall marks the
completion of the ascension along the
staircase
139 steps.

Bronze tube
Tube pretending to be a tree branch, through which the
electrical installation for
lighting the Well. The presence of a
electricity generator at the Quinta allowed, from the beginning, to light most of the tunnels

Ground level
The 8th level gives access to the outside through a
secret door, facing
North, originally executed in
rustic stone, perfectly concealed in the construction

Steps
Adding the digits of the
number of steps in the staircase (139), we obtain the number
13 (1+3+9=13), which symbolizes, in Kabbalistic numerology
(see Tarot),
death and rebirth, in accordance with the
culminating meaning of the Initiatory Journey

Interior niches
According to Kabbalistic tradition, the
succession of niches that follow the
unfolding of the staircase and
open to the
central void, evokes the
22
Major Arcana (see Tarot), or
divine principles underlying
creation of the Cosmos

Wind rose
Covered in marble of various colors, the bottom of the Well displays a
compass rose that indicates the
four cardinal points: N, SE, and 0 (in diamonds), and the
four collateral points: NE, NO, SE and SO (triangles)
The two horizontal axes (cardinal directions) converge at the
center (red circle), where they intersect with the
vertical axis that connects the
Zenith to the Nadir

"Symbol of the Adept"

Interspersed with the
compass rose, a
pateous cross that coincides with that of a
engraving from a 16th century
Alchemy manual. XVII
where it is called the “Sign of the Adepts”.
The Adept is, in
alchemical language, one who has realized in himself the
Philosophical stone
AXIS MUNDI

The initiation journey

Palace of the goddess Thetis

The Journey constitutes one of the fundamental archetypes of
human experience, in which the
individual dynamics that
lead to
discover others, ourselves, society, the world and the Mystery of Nature.
The transposition of this experience into
philosophical sphere leads to
inner journey centered on the three fundamental questions of existence:
Who am I?
Where do I come from?
Where I go?

For the one who

looking for answers, willing to
face the unknown, several societies have provided the transmission of
his knowledge through
initiation. For millennia, in a
ritualized way, its members have been induced to
symbolic journeys whose routes refer to a
mythical territory. In this context, the
initiate is led to places where the
profane and sacred intersect: leaving behind the
penumbra of their conditioning and accessing the
sacred territory of
Divine light, he will be introduced to the mysteries of Nature when he comes to know himself.
Overlapping the evidence that guides this journey, the
"traveler" will pass through the
"dark forest", through
chaos, "descending into
hell", the
world of the dead,
among tombs or penetrating the
Labyrinth, in the
womb of the Mother Earth, to reach the Sacred Island, the
Center of the World or
reach the Mountain by which he will rise to Heaven.

"Lead me from the

illusory to the real, from
darkness to light, from
death to immortality"
The spiral staircase, with
10 levels, evokes the
final part of the
Divine Comedy, in which Dante, guided by his
beloved Beatriz, initially ascends to the
ninth celestial sphere of
Paradise to finally be led by
São Bernardo to Céu Empireo
(10th plane)

8:

Facing West, the

4th level (intermediate plane
between the
base and surface levels), opens to a tunnel that curves and connects to the
Guardians' Portal. Symbolically this connection is given to the
heart level, being protected, at the entrance, by the "Guardians of the Threshold"

Flanked by columns, the base portico marks the

passage of the tunnels (horizontal axis) to the
Temple (vertical axis).
On the left, a
pot for water and
a marble sink makes it possible to
ritual purification that
should precede entry into this
space for consecration rites

Instructed on the
origin of the cosmos and its laws, knows a
symbolic death that provides its
spiritual rebirth as
new man. Reinstated by this
transmuting expansion of consciousness, he can then
return to the world from
which he left, endowed with a new ontological status.

The Epic was

re-idealized in the
romantic period, which translated into
in the Arts, in Literature or, in particular, in the dramaturgy of several operas.
In the century. XIX, the monumental editions appear
d'Os Lusíadas, by Camões (A),
and the Divine Comedy, by Dante (B), then

illustrated by the best designers of the time, such as Fragonard, Desenne (A) or Gustave
Doré (B), whose works Carvalho Monteiro was a fan of.
In the Lusíadas, Camões evokes the process of
initiation of the Portuguese Nation: after describing the
trials of Vasco da Gama's trip to India, the author inserts in the return the
inadvertent arrival at Ilha dos Amores, where the
Hero is received and
crowned by Thetis,
goddess of the oceans, who leads him to the
on top of a mountain, revealing to him the
cosmic vision of the
"Great Machine of the World", consisting of
10 concentric circles (Canto X, 80-89), to which the
ten levels of the Well can be compared. Contemplating this vision,
the Portuguese armada returns to its homeland

The four elements

Each of the accesses to the portico of the inner Temple integrates the
symbolic journey of the
plaintiff, who, on his initiatory journey, facing the
various tests (related to the
4 Elements)
will cross the darkness to find the Light.
The Hermetic tradition associates each Element with
levels of consciousness
successively higher, accessible through a
internal asceticism

Fire - Initiatory Well

The only Element that by nature
rises Fire is located in the
top of the hierarchy of Elements.
Your interaction with others implies changes in
state in matter and the
its underutilization.
This dynamic is consistent with the
ascending route to the top of the vertical Temple which, from the base, rises via the spiral
staircase to
above the ground, culminating in a
opening to the sky

Air - Imperfect Well

Construction with an unfinished appearance, with the
spatiality of
an inverted tower that
sinks into the earth, around a
central void.
Poço Imperfeito conceals one of the entrances to the
underground routes. The upper floor, open to the sky,
is located at ground level, on the same plane as the
raises the Guardians' Portal

Aqua- Cascade Lake

Disguised by the water curtain of a
artificial waterfall,
a tunnel leads to
lower portal of the Temple.
The lake suggests the
"Stygian lake" of
Camonian poetry or even the
river Styx
of Greek mythology referred to as
access to the world. of darkness.

The fillies, emerging above the water level, allow the

crossing the lake with
fifteen steps.

Wanderings in the underground galleries of Regaleira

and yours
convergence in the Inner Temple, correspond
steps of a
alchemical process by which the
Man may find himself the key
for your
inner transmutation and spiritual regeneration.

Guardians
The two hybrid beings figured on the threshold going to access the
Inner temple represent the

Guardian of the Threshold, who

defends the passage between two worlds. The presence of a
small shell inside another,
larger one, alludes to the
inner being to which the
initiated must give existence, passing from the
world of appearance to
world of Essence

Lookout
The circular template suggests the
divine Palaces of Thetis,
the half-slope of Sacro Monte on
Ilha dos Amores,
where Camões places the
union of Vasco da Gama with the
goddess
(Lusíadas, IX, 87), as an antechamber for the culminating
revelation of
"Great Machine of the World" (Lusíadas, X, 75-80).
Under the viewpoint dome,
supported by
six columns, a round table rises

Theater venue
The terrace over the
cistern and the
area of the Guardians' Portal
define the
scenic area for theatrical performances and
outdoor musical interpretations,
enhanced by the
acoustic shell formed by the
curved facade between
two towers.

Guardian Portal
The tripartite composition of the portal, with the
two side turrets and the temple over the arch in the center,
refers to the
synthesis between
two principles
(Solar//Lunar; Masculine/Feminine) underlying the
dynamics of the Cosmos. Also marked vertically are the
three planes of the Tower - that of the underground worlds
the
intermediate plane
(battlement level) B
and the
celestial plane (templete) C

Earth - Gruta do Oriente

On the edge of the forested area, there is the first
of the three underground accesses that lead to
entrance to the Temple.
Behind this artificial cave, there is a
extensive tunnel in the
rocky mole, oriented
East to West.

In which the tunnels from the

Cascata and Poço Imperfeito Lake
The Regaleira Tower marks the
creation of a
new mythical territory. In this, the
imagination of
Cavalry has a preponderant place,
translated into the
neo-medieval character of
architecture and interior decoration.

Romanticism valued the

ideology of
medieval
Chivalry by dramatizing the action of
noble feelings
about the soul, highlighting the
mystique of
Courteous Love and centering the
role of the Knight in
conquering his
spiritual autonomy

Guardhouses Located at the

corners of the building, they simulate a lookout position

Water mine access tunnel

Two water mines
converge inside the cave,
flowing into a
waterfall behind the statue of Leda

Photo by Luigi Manini (c.1910), in which the recently completed Tower stands out, standing
out in
perfect harmony in the
surrounding landscape. In
the background, the Royal Palace of Sintra

Bench and arbor

In front of the tower, under an arbor, a
circular table and a stone bench
provide an idyllic
ambiance of meeting in the garden.
This scenario denotes the
theme of
Amor Cortés, centered on
love for the Lady who encourages and guides the Knight in his
demand of divine Light and Justice.

Acoustic chamber eyepiece

Spire and flying buttress
Structuring elements, originating from
Gothic architecture, which reinforce the
stability of the building, transferring part of the
horizontal discharges from the tower to the ground.

Grotto
On the lower level, the Leda Cave with the
presence of water ensures the function of
fresh house, essential in a property intended for
stay during the
summer period. The set also takes on great symbolic significance.

On the plan
Its tripartition-
floor-reflects an understanding

Quinta da Regaleira
On a symbolic level, the towers evoke the union between
Earth and HeavenIts
tripartition-marked by
hierarchy and character of each floor-reflects a
ternary understanding of the nature of the Cosmos

The ternary model of the Tower

At lower level
B Intermediate level
of the Order of Christ, on the Armillary Sphere.
C Higher level

also a ternary structure. It is finished at the top with a cross

It rises in the North angle of the Palace presenting

Torrinha
Quinta da Regaleira
The Tower is the symbol of perfect mastery of oneself and of
spiritual triumph. Traditionally, it represents the regenerated Man who harmonized within
himself the three planes of Being:
body, soul and spirit

ENTER АЯНАДА
Crowning of the tower
The tower is crowned by 11 merlons, arches and columns. This one
number symbolizes the union of Heaven and Earth, of
microcosm and macrocosm

Higher level
It represents the higher consciousness that ascends to the reality of the Spirit,
once the human condition has been transcended by the action of
Divine fire

Column
Composed of base, shaft
and capital, the column symbolizes
the reestablishment of the primordial axis that unites the physical plane with the divine plane

B Intermediate level
It represents the plane of the Soul (which is associated with the consciousness of the Heart),
in which liberation from the constraints of matter occurs

Lower level

At lower level
physical plane in which the
densified consciousness
in matter, symbolized by Leda,
can, however, open up to
divine influences, symbolized by the
swan and dove

The opening of the Grotto, Nas

cent, allows, that, on the summer solstice,
the light of dawn penetrates the interior and
shines in the west,
in the waterfall

Hexagon
The hexagonal plant, with a symbolic meaning identical to the Hexagram, represents the
union of the two opposing principles, Water Fire, underlying
to the genesis of the Universe, according to
hermetic tradition

Leda myth
According to Greek mythology, Leda, the beautiful daughter of the king of Aetolia and wife of
Tyndareus, king of Sparta, was one of the mortal women
seduced by Zeus, god of Ulympus.
When she was walking along the river Eurotas, Zeus turned into a
magnificent swan and joined Leda, conceiving the
eggs from which the twins were born:
Pollux and Helen, sons of sons of Tyndareus.
Zeus; Castor and Clytemnestra.

The hermetic-alchemical tradition variant of the myth of Leda, a

allegory of the Creation of the Universe, arising from the
conjunction of opposites.
Zeus, celestial principle, fertile Leda,
earthly principle, and this conceives the Egg of the World, from which the
Beaver twins
Earth and Heaven. and
Pollux, who represent the see, in a

EARTH AND HEAVEN

Head
Spiritual Chivalry advocates a
heroic asceticism through the experience of the good fight, in favor of
a just and merciful peace.
Affiliated in the service of divine Light in the world, the
Knight seeks to disidentify himself from his physical body, intensifying the
soul plan to go from there
to the conquest of the Holy Grail-
the divine dimension

In Portugal, these ideals were imbued within the

Monastic-military orders, mainly
Order of the Temple, in Santiago and Avis and, later, in
Order of Christ. The action of these knights and monks
developed in
three aspects:
the reconstruction of the Temple (operational level)
its defense (knightly level) and its
consecration (priestly level)

Knight's shield
In Heraldry, the weapons placed on the shield, obtained with
efforts and loyal services, symbolize the attributes of the soul. For being
emblem of the Heart, the
shield to be armored imposes on the Knight the
recognition of the noble qualities of
character to improve in your demand.

Heart
Acoustic chamber
Accessible by a staircase from the
exterior, an "acoustic chamber" -with visibility into the cave-
enhances the acoustic effects on the scenic use of the place

Acoustic chamber
Accessible by a staircase from the outside, an "acoustic chamber" -with visibility into the
cave- enhances the acoustic effects in the scenic use of the place

Belly

Dove
In biblical tradition, it figures as the Holy Spirit, who comes upon
Mary becoming mother of Jesus, Son of God (Lk 1:35),
and that descends upon Him in His
baptism in the Jordan River (John 1, 32). In a syncretic perspective supported by the
hermetic tradition, the presence of the dove puts into question
highlights the analogies between the
divine conception of Jesus and the myth of Leda.

Swan
In the bestiary of Antiquity, the swan is a
animal of great importance, whose
graceful neck and immaculately white plumage made it the
symbol of the purity of divine light. When describing the
union of Zeus in the form of a
swan, with the human Leda, the
mythographers are reporting a
hierogamy-a sacred and immaculate union
da Regaleira

Stable
The pavilion, widely lit and airy, has boxes for 8 horses. It has excellent conditions: mangers
with liós stone sinks, oak wood separation stalls and walls covered in tiles

Under construction
Luigi Manini's first projects focused, in addition to the Palace and the Chapel, on the Coach
Houses, highlighting the importance of this nucleus. Work on the Quinta began around 1899

Quinta da Regaleira
STABLES
First building to be completed (c.1904),
under a project by Luigi Manini, associates the
functionality and cohesion of service centers
elegance of proportions and decorative dignity.
The neo-medieval tower dominates the surrounding landscape,
integrating the caretaker's house on the upper floors and the
carriage house on the ground floor

porch portico
The main access from the terrace to the caretaker's house is
decorated with a vegetal border in
around the portico and
two dogs that overlap this one.
In this context, the guard and companion dogs
symbolize the qualities
of vigilance and fidelity.

Coach house
It has space for five cars (movements and harnesses).
On the porch, a side door allows direct access to the
caretaker's housing through
staircase that connects to the balcony on the 1st floor.

Vacaria
Allows you to stable five cows and has a maternity ward

Donkey's house

Bestiary

Drip with "Green Man"

Under one of the terrace's leaks, there is a
"Green man", symbolically associated with
cycle of life, death and regeneration that governs
Nature

Corbel with pair of griffins

The two fighting griffins symbolize the
interaction of opposing and complementary forces
present in life and
in the genesis of the Universe

Capital with sheep

Under the porch arches, gutters, corbels and capitals
present a decoration whose speech highlights a
alternation between hermetic symbolism
Misula with goats
and naturalism that highlights the function of
spaces (bottom photos)

The majestic entrance to the service area is marked by

imposing wrought iron gates that reveal, in
background, the Coach Houses building.

Access lasts for a

avenue, originally flanked by
palm trees, whose stringing frames the
Castelo dos Mouros on the horizon, offering a
grand scenic and landscape effect

The majestic entrance to the service area is marked by

imposing gates
in wrought iron that leave
glimpse, in the background, the
Stables building.

Access lasts for a

avenue, originally flanked by
palm trees, whose stringing frames the
Castelo dos Mouros on the horizon, offering a
grand scenic and landscape effect

Pediment with Armillary Sphere

This nucleus of the Quinta concentrates
infrastructures and
dependencies necessary for your
operation,
some with a precursor character for the time

Housing
Garage
The attached dependencies, with
four independent fires, were intended for the
housing for several employees, including the
driver and his assistant

Incinerator ship
Electrolysis corridor
Generator Pavilion
Electrolysis corridor

They were installed here

accumulator battery, with
60 glass vases to stabilize the current, and the
electrical distribution board
Chimneys
Chimney and vent in the gardeners' kitchen. Yours
outward appearance suggests
two petrified tree trunks

Beehive porch

Colmeal
It has eight circular stone bases
to support the tenements. These hovered
above the floor, supported on
columns emerged in a
water tank for
prevent access of insects and
from other honey predators.

Water tank
Chimney
Gardeners' kitchen
Refectory

Generator Pavilion
In the main pavilion there was one of the
first generators in memory in Portugal, intended for
lighting of the Palace and other buildings, as well as the
garden and tunnels. It generated a continuous current of
400 amps through a 110 to 150 volt dynamometer, driven by a
80 HP Diesel engine (Sulzer & Frères) that used
vegetable oil as fuel. It was the most advanced technology at the time. According to the local
press, the
generator would have the capacity to illuminate
large part of the town of Sintra.

Quinta da Regaleira
Tower
Chapel
stuta

services

Sources

Underground

REGALEIRA FOUNTAIN
The fountain already existed in the time of the Viscountess of Regaleira and was then known
for sprouting the
best table water in Sintra. The excellence of water may have been at the origin of the
interventions that, under Luigi Manini's project, resulted in the
expansion of the facade and front enclosure, adding
scale, dignity and functional versatility, when defining a
space of scenic surroundings and
great symbolic load.

Obelisks
Normally erected in pairs, they represent, according to a
Egyptian legend, the
first objects touched by Light at the creation of the Universe.
Symbolize divine Light

Oak glans
The oak is the symbol of perenniality; its seed represents the cyclical continuity of Nature.

Ballots
The decorative use of
urns (closed vessels) and
open vessels symbolically signals the
cyclical rhythm of
death and rebirth that presides over
dynamics of Nature

Dolphins
Emblematic animal of Apollo, classical god of
Light and the Sun, for
reference to one of his metamorphoses.
Their tails are shaped like a flame, which represents the
Fire and Light

Chair, throne and altar

The arrangement of the bench seat, in the form of a
hemicycle and punctuated in the center by a throne,
evokes a ritualistic and collegial atmosphere,
suggestive of ancient Roman celebrations that
preceded the arrival of spring.

The symbolism of the source is expressed in neoclassical language, in which Greek myths
assume a preponderant meaning:
allegorically, the
Source represents the origin of all Creation;
Dionysus, god of wine, exuberant and wild, represents the
unbridled life force of Spring;
Apollo, god of sunlight and order, calms and regulates your impulses.
The interaction between the two allows the continuous regeneration of Life

MOTHER OF WATER
Confluence point of a water circuit that comes from
three mines within the property, the
fountain and the water mother date back to the time of
Viscountess of Regaleira

Gateway
Quinta da Regaleira
GALLERY

Oak Monogram
In line with the cult of Carvalho Monteiro for
malacology, the decoration of the Fountain - covered in embrechados - was personalized
using a wide
range of shells, stones and crystals. It is
decorative art, spread in Portugal by
Franciscans since the 19th century. XVI 16,
produces effects of great plastic and chromatic exuberance, given the
variety of textures and materials used

Mother of Water
Shell
It symbolizes the formed matter arising from the Primordial Waters, or Fons Perennis,
represented by the fountain

Anfo
ras
Profusely decorated with Dionysian motifs, the amphorae evoke the
wine, symbol of abundance and immortality, resulting from
union of vital Water and Fire, the two principles whose
balance determines the
cyclical rhythm of Nature

Satyr
Character associated with spring processions in
honors Dionysus, god of wine

Grapes and grapes

Ram
It is the symbol of the vital, spontaneous and regenerating force put into
action for Nature at the beginning of Spring

MOTHER OF WATER
The wide cylindrical access chamber is topped with a dome.

Settling basin
The springs converge in a
decanting bowl that functions as a water clock, ensuring
distribution by gravity according to the level of its flow A
water is channeled through the pavement through
ceramic channels. Upon reaching the
last section that precedes the
spout, the channel becomes lined with
rock crystals to purify water.
The excellence and wholesomeness of this remains to this day

Water supply
The mines, opened in a tunnel excavated in the rock, have the
supporting walls and roof slabs in
loose stone masonry, which ensures the
permeability of groundwater through joints

2 GUARDIANS' PORTAL
The central theme of this scenic structure, the marine cave appears as
threshold between two worlds:
known, under the external light, and the
unknown, interior and dark. This threshold is marked by
a curtain of water that falls, as a backdrop, behind the
sculpture of the guardians

Guardians
The presence of these hybrid beings, at
entrance to the sea cave, figure the
Guardian of Darkness, associated with the enigmatic passage to a
unknown world situated "beyond the Waters" - which encloses the
mystery of the origin of
Universe and Man

Buzio
Symbolizes the primordial sound that comes from the
Divine Word, whose vibration would have given
life to the Universe. The position
vertical of the conch shell held by the guardians corresponds to the passage of the world of
appearance, exterior and horizontal
to the world of essence, interior and vertical

3 FOUNTAIN OF THE STABLES

Dolphin

Emblematic animal of Apollo, classical god of Light and Sun, who represents divine Fire
Embrechados

Behind the grotesque "façade" of this fountain, you can see the remains of the oldest
embrechados known in Regaleira (c. 18th century), attesting to their origin as prior to
Carvalho Monteiro

Shell

Symbolizes the emergence of Life that springs from the primordial Waters

4 SOURCE OF THE CHIMERAS

CHIMERAS

5 dolphins

3 Cups

The three overlapping planes of water represent the Axis Mundi and the ternary structure of
the Universe: Heaven, the upper plane of creative forces, Earth, the lower plane of animated
forms, and Man, the intermediate plane that participates in the last two

Shells and lions

Meeting of the aqueous and fiery principles

5 Chimeras
Hybrid beings that symbolize character
illusory (chimeric) knowledge, when it is based only on the information that comes to us
through
five senses

oceanic world
Neptune, Proteus, Triton, as well as the
mermaid and nereids - beings from Greek Mythology - appear in the
base of the fountain, representing the realm of the first forms to emerge in
bosom of the Primordial Waters

5 BALNEÁRIO FOUNTAIN
Resulting from an adaptation of the
previous bathhouse, was entirely covered in
embrechados, being completed in 1913

Ballots
Closed vases representing the
receptacle containing the
raw material of the Universe, before it receives the rays of divine light
decorative motif
Greek art, with an undulating or labyrinthine layout
Represents the Primordial Waters

Greek enclosures
Eight-spoke wheel
Solar symbol that represents celestial Fire

services

Tower

Chapel

Stove

Sources

Underground

PRIMORDIAL WATERS
On the symbolic level, Water is the matrix principle that, in
interaction with the celestial Fire, gives rise to the
Universe.
The iconographic program of these sources, evident in
decorative elements with
symbolism of Water and Fire, focuses on the
Creation Myth

From the arch of shells and dolphins you see, at least

inner edge, a
mist water curtain, hiding from the
external observation of the underground passage that accesses the
Initiatory Well

NEPTUNE FOUNTAIN
Projected to the top of a
Jogo da Bola à Portuguesa, was never built.

In the center of the niche, riding a

dolphin, figure Neptune, god to whom the dominion of the waters belongs.
Analogous to Zeus' thunderbolt, his trident is the expression of
creative forces

Storks
Considered as the
"bird of the soul", to which the
contact with the Primordial Waters

Snake
The stork and the snake symbolize interaction
of the opposing and complementary forces present
in the life and genesis of the Universe

STOVE
Photograph by Luigi Manini (c. 1910), taken during the final period of the works, which
highlights the Palace, the Chapel and the Greenhouse, nearing completion

House of seeds

Located at the west end of the Greenhouse, in order to provide a cool and dry environment,
ideal for seed conservation

Terrace
Ground floor

Drainage tunnel
reservoir waters

Boiler house

Supply pipeline
firewood for the boiler

Facade
True temple dedicated to
Mother Nature, the building
inserts itself into the language
neomedieval, dominant in the architecture of Quinta da Regaleira.
Its granite façade resembles a
fortress and is topped with merlons and battlements

Misulas
Above them were busts of famous botanists, such as Le Notre and Brotero. They are
decorated, in their lower part, with plant motifs and figures of a Fairy...

Dr. Carvalho Monteiro's passion for Natural Sciences and,

in particular, by Botany, determined the construction of a
greenhouse that would allow you to propagate a variety of ornamental and exotic species

Hot greenhouse
It remains lit from the first rays of the morning until dusk and also has steam-heated thermal
radiators, connected to the boiler.
This creates a very hot and humid controlled environment, reproducing the conditions of
typical tropical forests.
equatorial zones of the Earth

Tempered greenhouse...
It is taller to allow the development of larger specimens. Part of the heat has already been
released along the path of the heated water, in the hot zone, so there is still heating
available, but more attenuated, to mimic the conditions of our planet's temperate
ecosystems.

Cold greenhouse

Sector located to the west; the seed house

protect you from sunstroke. It does not benefit from artificial heating as there are no thermal
radiators in this section

The humidity level is maintained higher due to the presence of an underground water tank

Flora
Tympanum in high relief representing Flora,
Roman goddess who presides over everything that blooms. The Floralia, or Floral Games
(whose name today designates flower festivals) were dedicated to this deity, traditionally
held at the end of April, the month that consecrates the
rebirth of Nature and whose last days were dedicated, in the
Roman calendar, to this goddess

Capitals
Ornamented with naturalistic motifs that converge with the
idea of abundance and fertility, maintaining the
reference to the two polarities
... and a Faun, allegorically representing
the two energetic polarities, feminine and masculine, in
action in the balance of Nature and in its cyclical process of death and rebirth

Thanks to the differentiated heating system,

By increasing plant transpiration and the evaporation of water deposits, it is possible to
control climatic conditions. to artificially recreate the conditions of different ecosystems

Family Musaceae Garden Banana

Terrace
Polygonal terrace that would serve as a threshing floor for
drying of seeds obtained from plants grown throughout the year

Family Orchidaceae Orchid Cattleya mossiae

Orchidaceae Orquidea Dendrobium farmeri

Cold Greenhouse

Agavaceae Yuca family

Yucca rostrata

Originally from North America, yuca is an arborescent plant

what product

"Carvalho Monteiro" pot for bromeliads

Location

Deep, rounded pot for ferns

Semi-spherical vase for orchids and bromeliads

The greenhouse is located on a level located halfway up the slope, featuring a panoramic
terrace in front of the main façade and an external circulation that accompanies the two
glazed façades, to the SE and SO. Its orientation ensures maximum sun exposure during
the day and to the throughout the year

North

South

Front tank as water reserve

Later deposit as water reserve

Family Bromeliaceae Bromeliad

Alcantarea imperialis sp.

Plant from the large bromeliaceae family, its name is a tribute to

D. Pedro II, emperor of Brazil, named after him
Pedro de Alcântara

Bromeliaceae Family Bromelia Aechmea "Royal Wine"

Originally from the jungles of South America, it is an exotic apartment plant, quite resistant.

Exposure to the South and the Sun for natural heating of the greenhouse

Windows with adjustable opening device for

cooling and airing more or less quickly

Evaporation from the front tank for air humidification

Hot steam ducts for artificial heating

Family Cyatheaceae Tree fern Dicksonia squarrosa

Areca palm sp.

Family Arecaceae Palm Tree Caryota mitis

Seasoned Greenhouse

Family Orchidaceae Orchid Cymbidium erythraeum

Cymbidium Erythraeum originates from the forests of the Himalayas and Northwest India.
Appreciated for its great beauty

Hot Greenhouse

Dracaena Family

Pleomele Dracaena reflexa

Originally from India and

Madagascar, from leaves

lanceolate and arched,

has a great distance

Seasoned Greenhouse

It's

Family Orchidaceae Orchid Cymbidius erythraeum

Cymbidium Erythraeum originates from the forests of the Himalayas and Northwest India.
Appreciated for its great beauty

Xerographic Bromeliaceae Family Tillandsia xerographica

Also known as "daughters of the air", with rigid leaves, they are rare and collector's plants.

Bromeliaceae Family Bromelia Guzmania "El Cope" Originally from Am

South America, has broad, soft leaves, with tubular flowers
Accessory control mechanism

Wooden rolling mats

Dracaena family Pleomele Dracaena reflexa

Originally from India and Madagascar, with lanceolate and arched leaves, it has great
longevity and is widely used in landscaping.

Pandanaceae family

Pandanus Pandanus utilis

A genus of tropical plants, originating in Australia and the Pacific, used in these regions in
cooking and for utilitarian purposes, such as covering traditional houses

Family Begonaceae Begonia Begonia rex

Coming mainly from tropical America, Begonia Rex is particularly appreciated for its
magnificent foliage with attractive colors.

Wooden rolling mats allow you to cover the glazed roof, regulating solar and thermal
exposure throughout the day. They are particularly important in the cold greenhouse

Metal walkway

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ALEA DOS DEL

Flora

Demeter

Pan
Lion

Aphrodite

Dionysus

Hephaestus

Orpheus

Fortune

Goddess of Chance and Luck, for the Romans. Identified with the Greek
Tiqué presides over births and
blindly distributes material goods, punishing all those who, having received gifts in
abundance,
they do not share them with the most unfortunate. To this end, he sends Nemesis, daughter
of Night, who brings the vengeance of the gods to men.

Cornucopia

This goddess is represented blind and with a cornucopia

(horn of abundance, which belonged to Amalthea, the goat that fed Zeus in his childhood),
with which he distributes his
share of fortune, greater or lesser

Flora
A wandering nymph through the fields, she was kidnapped by Zephyrus, a gentle and
pleasant west wind. This granted that she
reign over the flowers of the field and the gardens. You
Romans consecrated a temple to her and celebrated in her honor the
Ludi florales (floral games), the name with which today the
poetry festivals

Roses
In ancient Rome (and during the Middle Ages) they were the symbol of
incommunicable secret and the mysteries of the Beyond

Orpheus
Son of Apollo, god of Music, and Calliope, muse of Song.
A mythical musician and poet, he knew how to enchant wild animals with his voice.
When Hades, god of the underground worlds, kidnapped Eurydice, Orpheus' beloved, he
descended into Hell to rescue her,
putting the guardian Cerbero, a multi-headed dog, to sleep with the sound of his Lyre.

He is the patron saint of poets and musicians

Nine-string lyre

Orpheus added
two strings to the lyre that Apollo had given him, in honor of
nine Muses, protectors of
Arts and Letters

Demeter Ceres

Daughter of Crono and Rhea, sister of Zeus. Her name means "Mother of the Earth" and she
holds a narcissus in her hand, a flower that alludes to the kidnapping of her daughter,
Persephone, which caused the loss of eternal Spring and the succession of the seasons.
Protector of humans, she is associated with the matriarchal civilization that preceded
classical Greece
The popular aspects of devotion to
Demeter are partly present in the
Catholic cult of the Virgin Mary

Sheaf of wheat

The Greeks attributed to Demeter the emergence of the first wheat seeds, teaching how to
cultivate the soil and how to produce bread.

Dionysus - Bacchus
Son of Zeus and Semele, he fully participates in the regeneration of Nature during Spring
He is credited with inventing the arts of
stage and masks, which were then worn by the actors of the Greek theater

Ram
It refers to the zodiacal sign at the beginning of which festivals were celebrated in honor of
this god: the Great Dionysias that constitute the origin of the performing arts

Grape
Dionisio's main attribute, alluding to his relationship with the legends of vineyard cultivation

Lion
Following the path that leads to Campo de Seteais, the old garden of the Viscountess da
Regaleira can be seen behind an iron fence.
On this busy and elegant walk of courtly life in the 19th century among a leafy grove of
araucaria and plane trees, there was the majestic figure of a lion in full scale, a statue by the
famous French sculptor Pierre Rouillard that gave the whole a touch of nobility.
Years later, in 1885, this environment inspired D.Carlos de Bragança, future king, to sketch
one of his drawings.
lion, symbolically alluding to boldness and courage, was particularly liked by Dr Carvalho
Monteiro, who wanted to keep it in its current prominent position
Hephaestus - Vulcan
Son of Zeus and Hera, his ugliness led to his expulsion from Olympus. Having become
lame, he was taken in by Thetis and Eurimone, daughters of
Ocean Skilled in manipulating fire, he was the one who forged the ax with which he opened
the head of Zeus, thus allowing Athena, the Greek goddess of Wisdom, to be born.

Fire

God of blacksmiths, Hephaestus installed his forge inside a crater called Volcano. He makes
weapons and devices for gods and warriors, he knows the secret of fusing metals and
minerals

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Palace 3

Chapel 1

Chapel 2

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Hermes
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Sequentially placed from East to West, the statues in the alley symbolically illustrate the
major influences that guided the life of Dr. Carvalho Monteiro, a profound knowledge of
Classical Mythology

Aphrodite - Venus
Arising from the foam of the sea, the Zephyr wind carried her to the island of Cyprus, where
this goddess is said to have been born. Aphrodite presides over weddings, subjects humans
to the laws of Love and inspires in them the ideal of Beauty. In some places in Greece, she
was also venerated as the goddess of sailors; she protects Portuguese sailors in 'Os
Lusíadas de Camões

Veil

Aphrodite is sometimes represented wrapped in a veil, with which she hides the graces she
bestows on humans.

Pan

Greek god who protects shepherds and flocks, exercising guardianship over wild animal life.
In Greek, his name means "Everything" or "All", thus highlighting his character as a
synthesis of all other pagan gods. The Romans assimilated him to Faunus, father of Latinus,
the first mythical king of the Latins (people of Latium, in region of present-day Rome)

Flute

Fleeing from Pan's pursuit,

anila Six got upset,

with which the god built the flute

(syrinx) which is designated by the name

of the nymph or, also, by flut

, and of Calliope,

It's mythical, you know?

s with her voice.

underground,

feu, this one came down

falling asleep

multiple heads,
WAISTBAND

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homage

the Arts

mother of Zeus. Your

ra". Hold it in your hand

to the kidnapping of your daughter,

the loss of eternal

the seasons of the year.

is associated

and preceded Greece

homes of devotion

present at the service

emit the emergence

of wheat, the teaching of

to produce bread

ruz Alves | Texts: João Cruz Alves/João Luís Sus

ether-Ceres Daughter of Crono and Rhea, sister of Zeus. Her name means "Mother of the
Earth". She holds a narcissus in her hand, a flower that alludes to the kidnapping of her
daughter, Persephone, which caused the loss of eternal Spring and the succession of
seasons. Protector of humans, she is associated with the matriarchal civilization that
preceded classical Greece. The popular aspects of devotion to Demeter are partly present in
the cult of the Greek God Pan who protects shepherds and flocks, exercising guardianship
over wild animal life. In Greek, her name means "Everything" or "All", thus highlighting her
character as a synthesis of all other pagan gods. The Romans assimilated him to Faunus,
father of Latinus, the first mythical king of the Latins (people of Latium, in the region of
present-day Rome) Catholic of the Virgin Mary Sheaf of wheat The Greeks attributed the
emergence of the Flute to Demeter Texts: João Cruz Escaping from persedi the minta otrinx
trans of the first wheat seeds, the teaching of soil cultivation and the way of producing bread
with which the god built the flute (syrinx) which is designated by the name of the nymph or,
also, by the flute of Pan Hephaestus - Vulcan Hermes - Mercury Son of Zeus and Hera, his
ugliness led to his expulsion from Olympus. Having become lame, he was taken in by Thetis
and Eurymone, daughters of Oceanus. Skilled in manipulating fire, he was the one who
forged the ax with which he opened Zeus' head, thus allowing Athena to be born, Greek
goddess of Wisdom, God of travelers, presiding over commercial exchanges and favoring
eloquence. He is the inventor of the Laws and the Alphabet. He also presides over Alchemy,
encouraging spiritual search. He is sometimes depicted in his role as a psychopomp, guiding
the souls of the dead through the underground worlds towards the Fields of Elysium, a
mythical place where Heroes and those who lived a virtuous life rest. Fire Caduceus God of
blacksmiths, Hephaestus installed his forge in the interior of a crater called Vulcanéia.
Manufactures weapons and devices for gods and warriors, knows the secret of fusing metals
and minerals Staff with two coiled serpents alludes to the role of mediator between gods and
men, with Mercury being the messenger god CULTURSINTRA anyformsdesign.com
Coordination/P Urns The reformulation of the garden determined the introduction of lush
vegetation, with exotic plants wisely combined with native species. Along the alley, the
original iron railing was replaced, and it is now delimited by a well-carved stonework border.
To punctuate the route, a set of statues of different origins were inserted, interspersed with
stone urns. These are decorated with artichokes, sheep's heads and frowns, alluding to the
regenerating and renewing force present in Nature. Included sequentially between Fortuna
(goddess who governs birth) and Hermes (god who accompanies the dead), the statues
illustrate some of the areas in which the philanthropist voted his interest, such as Poetry,
Fine Arts, Botany, Zoology, Theater and Mineralogy