Commissioned initially by Infante D. Francisco de Bragança, the estate served as an opulent royal summer retreat featuring geometric boxwood hedges, geometric terraces, and intricate water features.

At the heart of these historic gardens lies its most breathtaking feature: the monumental cascade and its legendary Fontaine de Diana (Fountain of Diana). Sculpted by Joaquim Machado de Castro, Portugal’s greatest sculptor of the era, the sculptural group captures a classic mythological scene. Various statues depict a popular mythological theme.

The centerpiece being the goddess Diana bathing near the cave where her beloved shepherd, Endymion, sleeps an eternal slumber, flanked by intricate water jets and allegorical representations of the seasons.

The fountain itself is carved to appear as if it were found underwater. A common motif that can be observed in Portugal. And also, of course, deeply symbolic.

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Though it has weathered centuries of political upheaval and changing tastes, this hidden royal sanctuary remains an extraordinary urban escape. To wander past its stone grottoes and mythological figures today is to step directly into the interest of the aristocracy of old times. Catholic faith paired well with “pagan” symbology.