Category: Nature > Park
District: Lisboa > Lisboa > Lisboa > São Domingos de Benfica
Quinta da Alfarrobeira is located in Lisbon, in the São Domingos de Benfica area. Despite being situated in an urban context, the estate maintains a certain isolation, offering a tranquil refuge surrounded by some residential density. Its location allows for easy integration into city life, while also providing its own space of serenity, with its walls delimiting a green and historical area.
This palatial estate dates back to the first half of the 18th century, with its original design attributed to the renowned architect João Frederico Ludovice, known for his influence on grand works such as the Convent of Mafra. The palace, of residential architecture, reveals the transition between the Baroque and Neoclassical styles, with some later alterations in the 20th century. Its initial function was a pleasure estate, a space dedicated to the leisure and summer retreats of the nobility of the time, having even been frequented by royal figures such as Infanta D. Isabel Maria in the 19th century.
The main entrance to the palace leads to a courtyard that precedes the impressive facade, adorned with perfectly arched arcades. One of the most distinctive elements is the portal providing access to the interior, with a curvilinear design and more elaborate decoration, where a fascinating keystone shaped like a warrior's head stands out. In the courtyard, a disused fountain is topped by a polychrome tile panel of Baroque inspiration, depicting Our Lady of the Conception. The estate's chapel is undoubtedly its most richly detailed space, exhibiting a play of stonework in various tones, upholstered coverings punctuated by cherubs, and altarpieces with gilded scrollwork and semi-precious stones, attesting to a taste for Baroque polychromy. This place reveals careful attention to decorative elements, giving it a distinct atmosphere.
The gardens of Quinta da Alfarrobeira, despite having undergone some transformations over time, still allow a glimpse of their original Baroque language, with well-defined axes and fragments of boxwood flowerbeds. Noteworthy is the elegant L-shaped pergola, supported by pillars and covered by imposing secular wisteria, whose interior walls are lined with patterned tiles and niches that once housed statuary. One of the most remarkable elements is the suspended octagonal-shaped tank, supported by arcades, whose exterior walls are adorned with eight figurative tile panels in manganese purple monochrome, illustrating daily and mythological scenes. This tank was the heart of an ingenious hydraulic system that irrigated the orchards and the garden. Further ahead, a portal in a wall is flanked by two sphinxes in theatrical poses, inviting exploration of the different garden areas, with their central lawn, remnants of a rose garden, and boxwood formations that create designs on the ground, some curvilinear like a labyrinth.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 38.7458004, -9.1882911571429
Coordinates DMS: 38°44'44.9"N 09°11'17.8"W
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