Sintra (Portugal) is located about 25 km northwest of Lisbon.
The town constitutes three parishes of Lisbon (Santa Maria e São Miguel, São Martinho, and São Pedro de Pennaferrim).
Shown here is the Initiation Well at Quinta da Regaleira.
Some 30m deep well is located on the land of Quinta da Regaleira. It was never used as a well and, in fact, was never built to serve as a water resource at all. It was actually built for secret ceremonial purposes.
The owner of Quinta da Regaleira, the wealthy Portuguese businessman Antonio Augusto Carvalho Monteiro, was a well-known Freemason. With the assistance of the Italian architect Luigi Manini, he designed and constructed the four-hectare property with enigmatic buildings, mysterious parks, and underground tunnels.
The Quinta da Regaleira estate is known as “The Palace of Monteiro the Millionaire”. Built in 1904, the pearl of the estate, without doubt, is the palace. The grand residence has five floors and a Gothic facade, with carved and decorated gargoyles and other Gothic ornaments. The construction of the impressive estate lasted over 6 years. After the death of Carvalho Monteiro, the property was bought by a Waldemar d’Orey. The family owned it until 1987, when it was sold to a Japanese corporation. They kept the estate closed from the public for 10 years. In 1997, the local authorities purchased the estate, and after restoration, in 1998, it was opened for public visits.
Zlatko
viskostudio@gmail.com
July 2022