Mafra Palace (Palácio Nacional de Mafra)
For modest Portugal, the scale and extravagance of the Mafra monastery and palace, located 40 kilometers northwest of Lisbon, is astounding. The luxurious palace was built in 1711 by King João V to celebrate the birth of his long-awaited firstborn son. Three years into their marriage, the king had a daughter, Princess Maria. The construction took 18 years, with more than 50,000 people working on the site. The project cost an astronomical amount of money, and in Portugal it is said that João turned Brazilian diamonds into Mafra stones.
The basilica features six organs and two carillons of 112 bells – the largest in the world. But the main jewel of Mafra is the monastery library. Under the vaulted ceiling on the precious parquet floor are lined with bookcases holding 40,000 books. It is the largest single-room library in Portugal.
