The Royal Building of Mafra is a Baroque palace, basilica and convent in Mafra, begun on 17 November 1717 by King João V to fulfil a vow for an heir, and completed in 1755. UNESCO inscribed it as a World Heritage site on 7 July 2019, under the name Royal Building of Mafra, Palace, Basilica, Convent, Cerco Garden and Hunting Park, with an area of about 1,213 hectares.
The building has about 1,200 rooms, more than 4,700 doors and windows, 156 stairways and 29 courtyards, and it is a National Monument since 1907.
What to see at the Royal Building of Mafra
- Basilica: the church at the centre of the front, consecrated on 22 October 1730, with 58 Italian statues, a large crucifix and paintings by masters working in Italy and France in the 1730s.
- Carillons and organs: two carillons cast in Flanders for the bell towers, among the largest of their time, and six historic organs installed in the basilica between 1792 and 1807, restored in 2010.
- Library: the palace library, with about 30,000 volumes, whose shelves were built in 1771 and filled with books in 1794.
- Royal palace: the royal apartments in the two ends of the front, the north tower for the king and the south tower for the queen.
- Convent: the convent wing, with its infirmary, its 18th-century hospital and its kitchen.
- Cerco Garden: the walled Baroque garden beside the palace.
- Tapada: the royal hunting park, part of the same UNESCO site.
History of the Royal Building of Mafra
- 17 November 1717: the first stone is laid, to a design by Johann Friedrich Ludwig, known in Portugal as João Frederico Ludovice, and built under the chief engineer Custódio Vieira.
- 22 October 1730: the basilica is consecrated.
- 1744 and 1747: King João V creates the Tapada by decree, and the wall around it is begun.
- 1753: King José I supports a school of sculpture at Mafra, directed by the Italian Alessandro Giusti.
- 1755: the building is completed.
- 1771 and 1794: the library shelves are built, and the books are moved in.
- 1792 to 1807: the six organs are installed in the basilica.
- 1807: the royal family leaves for Brazil, after long stays at Mafra by King João VI.
- 1907: the palace is classified as a National Monument.
- 7 July 2019: UNESCO inscribes the Royal Building of Mafra on the World Heritage List.
Visiting the Royal Building of Mafra
- Tickets: the palace, the basilica and the library are visited with a ticket, and the National Palace of Mafra publishes current times and prices.
- The book: the building of the convent is the subject of the novel Memorial do Convento, by José Saramago.
Places to visit in Mafra
Mafra, Portugal
Royal Building of Mafra – Palace, Basilica, Convent & Hunting Park
Tapada de Mafra
Ericeira Surf Coast
Ericeira
Iberian Wolf Recovery Centre
History of Mafra
Visiting Mafra