Synopsis
The Fronteira palace is one of the most beautiful seventeenth-century monuments in Lisbon. It holds the largest collection of seventeenth-century 'azulejos' (Portuguese tiles) preserved in situ. It was built around 1670 by the 2nd Earl of Torre and the first Marquis of Fronteira Dom Joao Mascarenhas, and his wife Madalena de Castro and was used as a second residence and hunting lodge by the Mascarenhas family before the Lisbon earthquake.
The couple had the panels of azulejos (Portuguese tiles) installed, which can still be seen decorating the walls and the facades of the palace. It was under their initiative that the architectural elements of the gardens were built The 'Knights Lake' and the 'Kings Gallery'. The formal garden and its five fountains, the fountain of Venus, the Venus garden, the garden grotto, known as Casa do Fresco (translation: House of freshness), all the embrechados (rocaille decorations) and the three grottos behind the lake of the Knights date from this same period.
The palace is an ancient manor house preserved in a form very close to its original design. Classified as a national monument, it is also the home of the descendants of Dom Joao de Mascarenhas.
Although the formal garden of hedges of Box is not currently in best condition, both it and other parts of the garden are being actively restored.
All the visits to the interior of the palace are guided tours but the gardens can be visited without a guide or following a pre-designed itinerary with the help of audio guides. The visitors are welcome to join the monthly 'thematic walks' through the gardens, conducted by art historian Ana Paula Rebelo Correia (pre- registration needed)
See website:https://fronteira-alorna.pt/en/home/
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