Tracing its lineage back to the 10th-century Moorish occupation, the National Palace of Sintra stands as a materialised chronicle of shifting empires.

Known originally as the Palácio do Chão, this strategic Islamic stronghold was seized by Portugal’s first king, Afonso Henriques, in 1147.

However, the palace’s most defining historical transformation occurred in 1413, when King João I launched a monumental, decade-long reconstruction that redefined the town’s skyline forever.

At the absolute heart of this medieval overhaul was the creation of the kitchen’s twin, 33-metre-high conical chimneys.

Rather than mere structural elements, these colossal, hollow spires were a profound statement of royal hospitality, engineered to vent the massive heat and smoke generated by roasting entire oxen for the court’s lavish diplomatic banquets.

Surviving the catastrophic 1755 earthquake, these iconic chimneys functioned for centuries as a physical testament to royal excess and logistics. Nowadays, they have become a signature of Sintra, even being featured in the city’s municipal logo.

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