Monserrate Palace & Park

Often referred to as the small museum, the sacred art room houses a notable collection of art and religious artefacts. These artefacts were curated by Francis Cook. The Sacred art room also features a stained glass window that lends to the religious artefacts museum ambience.

The main hall is the central atrium of the Monserrate palace. The towering arches and domes are indicative of the gothic architectural influence of the time. The grand interior welcomes people to the rest of Monserrate Park and the Palace complex.

During Francis Cook’s time, the men would usually smoke following a meal. In the absence of an actual smoking room, they made good use of the billiards room. The room features beautiful Porphyry engravings that elevated the charm of the room.

Francis Cook regarded the Music room as his main hall. This is where he would greet guests. This space also doubled as a party room where the Cooks would host soirees. The room also had good acoustics, this was done so that the musicians could entertain the guests properly.

Under the able guidance of William Stockdale and James Knowles, the Monserrate garden could feature some of the rarest and most beautiful gardens in the world. The garden also has a vast collection of arboreal ferns that were sourced from New Zealand and Australia.

The current chapel that stands here used to have the original chapel for Our Lady of Monserrate. The current chapel has artificial ruins built by Gerard de Visme. The chapel was also used to house three sarcophagi that served as garden ornaments. They are now housed in the São Miguel de Odrinhas Archaeological Museum in Sintra.

Through his expansive rose gardens you could tell Francis Cook’s love of roses. He considered roses to be the Queen of flowers. They sourced roses from all around the world. The rose garden is a must-visit when going to Monserrate Palace and the park.

This clever piece of architecture takes influence from the palace of Monserrate. The staircase on the scented path connects the outside of the palace to the inside. The Staircase on the Scented Path structure rises above the fish tank which gives it a scenic view.

The Mexican garden strategically makes use of the driest and warmest part of the Monserrate complex. The garden is watered through a series of water-carrying systems. The water system features a canal, water pathways, and water tanks. It is a must-visit in the Monserrate palace complex for the beautiful collection of warm climate plants.