MAFRA
Mafra town is located 39 kilometres (24 mi) Northwest of Lisbon and has become famous as the home of Portugal's largest building and possibly the most extravagant; the mighty Palácio Nacional de Mafra. Although the palace's massive façade dominates much of the town, there is a good selection of cafés and restaurants opposite the Praça da República and further into the centre of town. MADABOUTSINTRA.COM is your indispensable guide to help your trip go smoothly. Check out our guides about what to see, where to go, where to sleep and where to eat. You'll also find several suggested tours designed to take the effort out of visiting attractions.
MAFRA PALACE ENTRANCE TICKET
ONLINE TICKET
With this entrance ticket you can gain entry to the National Palace of Mafra at your leisure. Buy online before you arrive to avoid queues and have the convenience of the e-ticket on your phone…
Book with confidence with the FREE CANCELLATION option.
• Kids under Five get in free, no ticket required
• If your plans change we have you covered with the option to cancel and get a full refund
Opening Times
Wednesday – Monday: 09h00 - 13h00/14h00 – 18h00, Tuesday: CLOSED
Lisbon Card: FREE
Contact Details
Terreiro D. João V, 2640-492, Mafra, Portugal.
38° 56' 12.8"N | 09° 19' 40.2"W | +351 261 817 550
geral@pnmafra.dgpc.pt | Website
NATIONAL PALACE OF MAFRA (PALÁCIO NACIONAL E CONVENTO DE MAFRA)
Mafra Palace – Front Elevation
This vast 18th Century Baroque building encompasses a Royal residence, a Basilica and a Convent. It houses Italian sculpture, Italian and Portuguese paintings, a library, two tall bell towers, six organs and an 18th-century hospital. King D. João V and Dona Maria Ana of Austria founded it in fulfilment of a vow made in 1711. After enduring three years of childlessness, the royal couple swore an oath to build a great monastery at Mafra if gifted with childbirth. The foundations were laid on the day of Dona Maria Pia's birth in 1717 AD.
The design features an obsessive use of geometry and symmetry across 40,000 sq. metres (48,000 sq. yards). The footprint is a near square at 251 metres (825ft) long by 221 metres (725ft) wide. It has over 4,500 windows and doors throughout 1,200 rooms connected by over 150 flights of stairs. The building is faced with local stone. The whole complex was designed to impress, surpassing all other existing buildings. Mafra is a superlative example of Baroque opulence and boasts the wealth and power of the Portuguese crown at the time. It was financed from gold pouring into royal coffers from Brazilian mines. Despite this great influx of wealth, King D. João V almost bankrupted Portugal with his ambitious architectural works, such as the one at Mafra.
CONSTRUCTION
The King deemed the original plans drawn up by the German architect Ludwig too modest and rejected them. The Italian architect Frederico Ludovice was employed and added an Italian feel to the design. During the height of construction, over 15,000 masons, artisans and sculptors were working on the project. It's rumoured that a garrison of 6,000 troops camped onsite to ensure law and order. Although the majority of construction was completed by 1730, work would continue until 1755, five years after King D.João V's death. Following the devastation wreaked by the Great Earthquake, they reassigned the builders to rebuild Lisbon.
TOP TOURS OF MAFRA
Mafra, Ericeira, and Queluz Private Tour
After being collected from your Lisbon accommodation, this eight-hour tour will begin with a Mafra Palace tour. Your tour will then progress towards the beautiful fishing village of Ericeira, which is very close to Sintra and Mafra. Its centre, which is older and more typical, allows visitors to walk through narrow winding streets that reflect back to older times.
Following Ericeira, you will discover the Queluz Palace, which is an 18th-century palace that was built as a summer nook for D. Pedro de Bragança.
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Lisbon: Royal Palaces Tour
Explore the Royal Palaces of Lisbon and their surroundings, which are filled with stories, myths, and legends. See wonderful monuments during an amazing day of sightseeing. Start at the National Palace of Queluz. Then head to the Park and National Palace of Pena in the Sintra Municipality. Finally, end at the Palacio Nacional de Mafra.
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Discover Amazing Óbidos and Historic Mafra
Discover the palace of Mafra, a magnificent building that was only possible due to the Brazilian gold which poured into the country. You will be walking along the longest corridor ever built in a palace (232 meters long).
Then explore Óbidos, conquered by Portugal's first king, D. Afonso Henriques, on January 11th, 1148. Since then, Óbidos continues to be part of Portugal´s history. Here you will visit the various highlights of the fortified village of Óbidos. Walking inside the village also allows you to taste the Ginjinha and other local goods and crafts.
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THE ROYAL RESIDENCE
Although only designed as a summer residence, nothing less than 666 rooms would do for the comfort of royal living. The King and Queen, being pious, had separate quarters in two large pavilions at the front corners of the palace. A church stands at the centre of the two 220-metre-apart towers. Joining corridors allowed the royal couple to observe church services without leaving their royal chambers.
Portuguese, Italian and French art adorned the royal residences, including works by Cirilo Volkmar Machado and Domingos Sequeira. The royal family quickly left for Brazil upon Napoleon's troops' arrival, taking valuable items with them. However, there remain many considerable pieces. Mafra served as a Royal residence until the end of the Portuguese monarchy. King Manuel II spent his last night there before leaving for exile in 1910.
Mafra Palace interior
Mafra Palace Basilica
THE BASILICA
The consecration of the Basilica occurred on the 22nd of October 1730, the King's 41st birthday. Unique organs were created by António Machado Cerveira and Peres Fontanes. They played together for the first time on the 15th of May 2010 following a restoration programme. In addition to the organs, Mafra has a set of two carillons consisting of forty-nine bells, each housed on either side of the main façade. In the main chapel, a painting by Francesco Trevisani represents the Virgin, Jesus and St. Anthony, the church's patron. The marble retables of the side chapels, Holy Family (south) and Blessed Sacrament (north) and the six collateral chapels, are attributed to Alessandro Giusti from the Mafra School of Sculpture. The Basilica's other highlights are the ensemble of statues made by Italian masters, the most significant collection of Baroque Italian sculptures outside Italy.
