Located directly north of Coimbra, the Bussaco Palace is idyllically perched high on a hill in the heart of the Bussaco Woods, a 250 acres of lush forest planted by the Barefoot Carmelites in the 17th century and one of the most spectacular Portuguese landscapes. Resplendent in its overwhelming Manueline-gothic architecture, this legendary castle was built between 1888 and 1912 for the last Kings of Portugal and converted into a deluxe hotel in 1917.
The current hotel building, in neo-manueline style, is decorated with tile panels, frescoes and paintings alluding to the Portuguese Discoveries, all signed by some of the great masters of the arts.
Inside, there are remarkable works of art by great Portuguese masters of the time, from the collection of tile panels by master Jorge Colaço, evoking The Lusiads, Gil Vicente's plays and the Peninsular War, graceful sculptures by António Gonçalves and Costa Mota, canvasses by João Vaz illustrating verses from the maritime epic by Luís Vaz de Camões, frescoes by António Ramalho and paintings by Carlos Reis.
A true fairy tale palace at the heart of an enchanted forest !
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