Palácio Fronteira: A Top Notch Garden Tour in Portugal
One of the five Portuguese gardens featured in “The Garden’s Gardener”, Phaidon’s fabulous compendium of the world’s most beautiful gardens, the Palácio Fronteira, in Lisbon, is an absolute must-see in any garden tour in Portugal. Built around 1675 by the First Marquis of Fronteira, D. João de Mascarenhas, the Palace was initially used as a hunt pavilion. With an unmistakable Renaissance soul, its architecture also reflects the transition to the Baroque. As fascinating in its architecture as in its sumptuous interiors, the palace’s gardens, with tall trees and delicate box trees, statues, fountains and 17th century azulejos are equally stunning. At Fronteira, one of the most unforgettable garden tours in Portugal awaits you.
Of water and shadows: discovering the unique charm of Portuguese gardens
Delightful and secretive, surrounded by water jets, with shadowy niches, the Casa do Fresco is an artificial grotto, where secret encounters must have taken place one day. This unique atmosphere is indeed a memorable moment to add to your experience of garden tours in Portugal. Located on the southern limit of the Upper Garden, it is just below the famous Galeria dos Reis (Gallery of the Kings). The pièce de resistance of the Palace and an undisputed emblem of garden tours in Portugal. This is a huge tank of 50 x 19 meters, where the busts of the 15 founders and kings of Portugal gaze over the calm waters. This is without a doubt one of the wonders of garden tours in Portugal.
An unforgettable Garden Tour in Portugal: unveiling the feminine and the masculine at the Palácio Fronteira
Opposites attract. The variety of Portuguese Gardens is rich with examples of complementarity and the gardens of Palácio Fronteira are no exception. Here, this balanced contrast can be seen in the harmonious disposition of the two main bodies of the palace’s gardens. The Jardim Formal (Formal Garden) and the Jardim de Cima (Upper Garden). Two unique treasures to discover in this garden tour in Portugal. As the last Marquis of Fronteira explained in an interview, a perfect opposition is set. “The Formal Garden used to be the masculine garden, whilst the Upper Garden is more feminine. With a statue of Venus with a dauphin and turtles, representing sensuous love and domestic love. The first was a show-off garden, which could be visited by anyone visiting the house, as opposed to the second one, which was almost private.”
