Palácio Nacional de Mafra ("National Palace of Mafra") is a majestic 18th century monument located in Mafra, Portugal, in Baroque and Neoclassical styles, largely built of Lioz stone. It is composed by a palace, a basilica, a convent, a cerco garden and a hunting park and was commissioned by then Portugal's King Dom João V.
The National Palace of Mafra is perhaps the most notable construction directly resulting from the gold and diamonds exploration in Brazil, as it was largely funded by taxes charged by Portuguese authorities in its former colony, mostly between 1717 and 1755. In 2019, this attraction was inscribed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Its façade and the royal palace's interior spaces are truly remarkable. The palace's library is deemed of the world's most beautiful. Emphasis should be given to the monument's historic collections of paintings, sculptures, jewelery, textiles, metals, ceramics and furniture.
Interestingly enough, both towers located on the extremes of the palace used to be destined to each of the country's monarchs: while the king occupied the northern one, the queen had the southern one for herself. Both towers are connected by a single 232 meters long aisle, making it Europe's longest palatial hallway.
Lusideias recommends visiting Palácio Nacional de Mafra right before or after visiting Ericeira, a village and beach destination also located in the municipality of Mafra!