Quintinha de Monserrate

Category: Nature > Park

District: Lisboa > Sintra > Sintra > Centro Histórico

Location

The Quintinha de Monserrate is located in the historic town of Sintra, in the heart of its Historic Centre. It is integrated into the lush landscape of the Sintra Mountains, close to the entrance of Monserrate Park, benefiting from a natural and tranquil environment that invites exploration and contact with the surrounding nature.

A Glimpse of Rural Life

In the past, the Quintinha de Monserrate served as an agricultural farm, supplying Monserrate Palace. Currently, this two-hectare space recreates the traditional atmosphere of country life as it was lived in the Sintra region during the 19th century. Visitors can observe up close the agricultural practices and daily life that shaped the lives of the rural communities of the time, offering an authentic perspective on the dependence on the land and ancestral sustainability.

The Diversity of the Farm

At the Quintinha, you will find a variety of domestic animals that inhabit the space peacefully, such as chickens, sheep, rabbits, donkeys, horses, and goats, allowing for interaction with the fauna of a traditional farm. The land features diverse cultivated areas, including orchards with fruit trees, vegetable gardens with seasonal vegetables, cereal areas, aromatic and wild plants, and also forested areas with native species of the mountains, such as cork oak or chestnut. A natural watercourse, fed by springs, runs through the Quintinha, contributing to a rich ecosystem and sustaining an ingenious irrigation system by channels, which demonstrates the wisdom of past agricultural practices.

Distinctive Elements

Several elements enrich the visit to the Quintinha. The old groundskeeper's house, dating from the 19th century, has been carefully restored and adapted, maintaining its original charm and recreating a traditional kitchen with a wood-fired oven. There is also a barn, which was used to store cereals and agricultural tools, and an open-air amphitheatre, built with wood and grass, which integrates harmoniously into the landscape. A notable sculpture called Totem, carved from the trunk of a eucalyptus tree, also stands out. This piece of art represents 17 natural values and wild species of the Sintra Mountains ecosystem, such as the Bonelli's eagle and the Schreiber's bat, serving as a point of reflection on local biodiversity.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt