Mafra National Palace, Portugal

Mafra National Palace isn’t another architectural sightseeing in Baroque, it is the biggest and the most beautiful King’s Palace in Portugal. The palace was built within 13 years and was finished in 1730. Originally this building was quite complex from the architectural point of view. There was an active monastery with monks in residence, a church and some other buildings. A lot of houses were saved, in comparison with the palace they look quite small.

The interesting feature of the palace is the largest collection of bells. You can hear them at a distance of 20 kilometres. At the end of the 19thcentury, the huge reconstruction has finished. After this, the palace became the monument of the nationally significant. In the palace, you can see a great collection of ancient items and art pieces. Also, you will see wonderful sculptures and pictures. The real pearl of the royal residence is a library.

There you can find old tomes that are written on the golden pages. The collection of the oldest world books is also placed there. Nowadays the marvellous royal residence is used for solemn events. The museum was opened there in 1910 and is still avaliable for tourists and locals. During the excursion, you can see the whole palace, visit an old French abbey, peek into the nooks. Next - Odessa Opera and Ballet Theater