My third #monomad challenge will be focused in the opportunities that sometimes are just around us, but since we are used to see them as "usual", sometimes we have to came back and look at them with the curiosity of a child.
For me, there is nothing more cleaver then a children's mind! They persecute all the surroundings with their big curious eyes, and touch everything that they can reach with their small and vivacious hands... When you are providing a infant of experience something new (for him/her), you are like "stealing" their opportunity of live on life's experience for they first time.
This journey started, as the the two previous ones, that I already published in the #monomad challenge, by the need that I felt to going out of my home, and actively search for a object of interest. This time, I didn't went out for a walk, but I decided to explore the "neighborhood" with my Brompton.
After a 20 km ride, and no more then 7 km from my place, I came to this iconic touristic famous "mandatory" monument. I decided to look at the Palace of Queluz - one of the last great Rococo buildings to be designed in Europe.
The impressive architectural 18th century Palace, Fountains, Gardens, and Square surely can do a huge welcome to one who didn't already crossed by.
Located at Queluz, a city of the Sintra Municipality, in Lisbon District, that is somehow famous for being the "Portuguese Riviera",
brings a different kind of natural light to all corners, when you get such a clear day just like I caught.
The portuguese pavement (calçada portuguesa), essentially made with limestone and basalt (in Queluz you mostly find only limestone), can reflects the day light, and giving in a warmth natural light, that some how makes Lisbon a city that so many photographers like visit.
These majestic entrances, and details, are very particular from a specific period of Portuguese Court.
The construction work began in 1747 and continued rapidly till 1755, when they were forced to stop by the Great Earthquake of 1755, that devastated all the Lisbon region, and forced the construction workers to be displaced to reconstruct the city, by the order of Marquês de Pombal - Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, head of the Portuguese government.
The public façade of the palace faces directly to the town square, and it has two low symmetrical wings, in squarish shape, that flanks the forward-reaching wings.
In 1760, Marquês de Pombal arranged for Dom Pedro I to marry the King's daughter Maria, the heiress of the throne. By the death of Dom Pedro in 1786, the Queen Mary's mental health deteriorated... And on 1794, she and her court took up their full-time residence at Queluz, by demand of her eldest son, later King João VI.
The Museum, and all chambers are now closed, as you might guess, due to the CoVid pandemic, but as soon as they open again, I'll book one visit for sure!
Can't wait to complete it with some fresh photos from the inside unique gardens and Neptune's Fountain.
I'm opened to all type of suggestions, critics, and comments that this wonderful community would like to do in the comment section.