My first tour with Francisco. A enjoyable walk through the gardens to reach the beautiful Palace of Monserrate - The villa a whimsical Arabian design, surrounded by classical English gardens, and set in the jagged hills of the Serra de Sintra.
The Palacio de Monserrate was inspired by Islamic architecture and the ideal of symmetry. Inside there is exquisitely fines lattice carvings, geometric patterns and the sense of being in some luxurious Middle Eastern setting.
The villa by the English Sir Francis Cook, and he wanted a classically English garden surrounding his villa. There is a formal lawn leading up to the villa, a beautiful rose garden as well as botanical gardens.
The botanical gardens the construction of the villa in 1860 and include a Mexican garden, a Japanese Garden, a fern valley, a rose garden and ornamental lakes.
When the villa was constructed, ornamental features were added to the gardens and include a tranquil waterfall feature and the ruins of a chapel.
