Mafra National Palace

A Guide to Visiting Mafra National Palace in Portugal

The stunning and brilliant Mafra National Palace in the otherwise quiet city of Mafra, Portugal is an over-the-top display of Baroque and Neoclassical architecture built in 1717 to commemorate the birth of King João V’s daughter. This place-monastery includes a Royal Palace, basilica, convent and more than 1,200 different rooms.

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Despite all of its accolades and impressive features, it remains one of the less touristed historic sites in Portugal, perhaps because there is so much competition with colorful Sintra to the west and the trifecta of UNESCO monasteries to the northeast. With ample parking, a modest entrance fee, and a few glimpses of the photos, we decided this was a must-see on our road trip through central Portugal. In hindsight, it was one of the most enjoyable stops of our journey.

Above photo: Mafra National Palace & Convent

The Palace

The palace is massive. And while it is architecturally extraordinary, I did feel the urge to take a power washer to the exterior. I can only assume that the limestone and decorations are fragile and this isn’t an option.

The front facade of the palace is about 220 meters in length. The bell tower, which contains 92 bells, stands at 68 meters. There is a wide plaza in front of the palace, but even my wide angle camera lens couldn’t capture the whole thing in one frame. Hence, that is why you usually see side-angle photos of the front of the palace.

Above photos: Extior and vestibule of Mafra National Palace including sculptures by the School of Mafra

Given the size of the palace and number of rooms that can be explored, I won’t be detailing each and every one. It was room-after-room of painted ceilings, priceless works of art, and beautifully restored antique furnishings. Believe it or not, only a small portion of the rooms at the palace are accessible to the public. The former monastery, which at one time housed 330 monks, is currently in use by the military.

Above photo: Religious art exhibition

The religious art on display belonged mostly to the basilica and convent. One notable exception was this large painted canvas from the no-longer-existant Trinas do Mocambo Convent. These rooms formerly were used to accommodate members of the king’s household.

Above photo: Infirmary

The infirmary included isolation rooms, convalescent rooms, physicians’ offices, and treatment rooms. The ward above had 16 spaces with beds facing the altar so patients could attend mass.

Above photo: Diana’s Room

Diana’s Room is named after the painted ceiling fresco depicting Diana, Roman goddess of the hunt and her nymphs. It was previously called the Torch Room because a candle was kept burning through the night.

Above photos: The Throne Room

The Throne Room was used to receive royal audiences, hence this is sometime called the Audience Hall. The ceiling was painted by Cirilo Volkmar Machado and depicts angels and ministers protecting the king and his family.

Above photos: Ceiling frescos by Cirilo Volkmar Machado

The ceiling frescos were nothing short of amazing. Many of these were painted by painted by Cirilo Volkmar Machado. The photos above include The King’s Guards Hall, The Destinies of Portugal Room, and The Room of Discoveries.

Above photos: The King’s Private Oratory (left); The Blessing Gallery (right)

The rooms of the King’s apartment are situated at the end of the palace while the apartment of the Queen is 200 meters away at the other end. The long hallway connecting the two wings of the palace is called The Blessing Gallery, or Benediction Gallery, because in the middle there is a balcony that overlooks the basilica, which enabled the Royal Family to attend church without leaving home. There is something to be said about this.

Above photos: The Queen’s Bed Chamber (left); The Queen’s Private Oratory (right)

The Hunting Trophy Room was originally used for entertainment by a brass band. However, since the early 20th century, the hunting trophies that were originally on display on the lower floor were moved up here. Most of them were collected from the Hunting Grounds of the Mafra Palace.

Above photos: The Hunting Trophy Room

In 1807, King João VI fled from Portugal to Brazil due to the advancing French troops during the Napoleonic Wars. He took with him the most valuable pieces of art and best furniture. Hence, most of the rooms have undergone redecoration and are not original to the palace. It is evident that a great deal of care has been taken to return these rooms back to their original style and flair.

Above photos: Top row: Room of D. Pedro V (left) and the Music Room (right); Next row: Billiard Room (left) and the Room of Princess Maria Francisca Benedita (right).

To see my complete photo gallery of the rooms of Mafra National Palace, click here.

The Basilica

The Basilica of Our Lady and St. Anthony of Mafra is fit for a king and the King of kings. Constructed of rosy pink marble and full of light, it is both majestic and super pretty. Like many other monastery churches, it is built in the shape of a Latin cross with a central nave of 63 meters long and 21.5 meters high. There is so much to see in here, but what impressed me most were the organs.

There are six organs inside the basilica which are meant to be played simultaneously. Their names — the Gospel Organ, the Epistle Organ, the Sacrament Organ, the Organ of Saint Peter of Alcantara, the Conception Organ and the Organ of Saint Barbara — correspond to the areas in which they are located. I so wish I could have heard them played. Organ concerts are scheduled periodically, which is something to check on prior to your visit.

Above photos: The Basilica of Our Lady and St. Anthony of Mafra

The Library

The Library at Mafra National Palace is one of the world’s most beautiful and impressive. Built in the Rococo style, it occupies the entire second floor on the backside of the palace. It measures is 88 meters long (roughly the length of a football field), 9.5 meters wide and 13 meters high.

Over 36,000 leather-bound volumes are organized on the shelves ranging in themes of the Enlightenment culture, which was becoming more rational and scientific. While religious themes were still predominant, books on the subjects of medicine, pharmacy, history, geography, literature, philosophy, architecture and art, law, literature are all here.

The library is roped off to prevent visitors from going any further than a few feet into the space, which was disappointing for me because I love Old World libraries. I would have loved to explore this one a bit more. It is the highlight of the palace.

The library is also home to a couple bat colonies that help keep the insect population under control — and have been doing so for the past 300 years thus preserving the wood shelves, balcony, and books from destructive pests.

Above photos: The Library at Mafra National Palace

Tours to Mafra National Palace

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