Monumental Journeys: Portugal
Trip to Portugal, May 5-10, 2024
This program is subject to change, we look forward to keeping you updated
Itinerary
DAY 1
Sunday, May 5: Arrivals
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Arrivals
Independent arrivals and transfer to hotel in Portugal
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Check In
Check in to Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon
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Evening
Welcome Reception and Dinner at Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon.
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Dinner
Your adventure in Portugal begins with a reception where you will have a chance to meet your fellow travelers and learn more about WMF’s work in Portugal, followed by dinner.
The Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon
The Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon is one of the finest examples of mid-century Modern design in Lisbon. In 1952, the architect, Porfírio Pardal Monteiro, a renowned Portuguese modernist architect, was selected to design the hotel. An earlier work by Monteiro is the Alcântara and Rocha do Conde d’Óbidos Maritime Stations, a current WMF project. Just as the Maritime Stations are decorated with murals by José de Almada Negreiros, the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon also includes artwork by this artist.
DAY 2
Monday, May 6
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Morning
Belém
Our visit to Lisbon’s historic district of Belém will begin with private access to the Jerónimos Monastery, one of Portugal’s most visited heritage site. The sixteenth-century monastery, which was built under the reign of King Manuel I, is an architectural masterpiece that has been admired for centuries. WMF Portugal recently completed two decades of work at Jerónimos Monastery to restore both exterior and interior components, and the visit will include a special unveiling of a plaque honoring WMF’s work there.
After touring the Jerónimos Monastery, the group will visit the famous Tower of Belém. Designed at the end of the fifteenth century to guard Lisbon harbor, the Tower of Belém has an exquisitely rich exterior with sculpted balconies and limestone ornaments. In 1994, WMF led the efforts to restore this icon of the city of Lisbon. -
Lunch
Pestana Palace Hotel
The group will enjoy a beautiful lunch in the magnificent Pestana Palace Hotel. Built in the early nineteenth century for the Marquis of Valle Flor and his three daughters, the Pestana Palace has been fully restored to its former glory. The hotel is situated in the historical Alto de Santo Amaro quarter of Lisbon and has magnificent views over the Tagus River.
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Afternoon
Calouste Gulbenkian Museum
The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum houses one of the world's most important private art collections, including works from Ancient Egypt to the early twentieth century, spanning the arts of the Islamic World, China, and Japan. The group will receive a special guided tour of the museum to learn more about the history of the collection and the importance of the Gulbenkian family.
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Dinner
Alcântara and Rocha do Conde d'Óbidos Maritime Stations
This special evening will focus on the current WMF project to restore the Alcântara and Rocha do Conde d'Óbidos Maritime Stations and the murals by José de Almada Negreiros. WMF included the Maritime Stations on the 2022 Watch and began working with the Port of Lisbon Administration to conserve the murals and rehabilitate the underused structures that once served as the maritime gateway to Lisbon.
The evening will begin with a tour of the Rocha do Conde d'Óbidos Maritime Station, followed by a cocktail cruise on the Tagus River. There is no better way to understand how Portgual became a leading maritime power than to view the city from the river that launched countless ships over the past centuries.
After cocktails, the group will return to the Alcântara Maritime Station to enjoy dinner amongst the murals and festive musical entertainment.
Jerónimos Monastery
Jeronimos Monastery is the most impressive symbol of Portugal’s power and wealth during the Age of Discovery. King Manuel I built it in 1502 on the site of a hermitage founded by Prince Henry the Navigator, where Vasco da Gama and his crew spent their last night in Portugal before leaving for India. Vasco da Gama’s tomb was placed inside by the entrance, as was the tomb of poet Luis de Camões, author of the epic The Lusiads in which he glorifies the triumphs of Da Gama and his compatriots.
The monastery is one of the great triumphs of European Gothic (UNESCO has classified it a World Heritage monument), with much of the design characterized by elaborate sculptural details and maritime motifs. This style of architecture became known as “Manueline,” a style that served to glorify the great “discoveries” of the age. Since 1999, WMF has partnered with the Directorate-General of Cultural Heritage (DGPC) to restore significant areas in both the exterior and interior of the complex. Including the iconic bell tower and stained glass windows.
Rocha do Conde d'Óbidos Maritime Station
Inclusion of the stations and their murals on the 2022 World Monuments Watch drew attention to unique heritage that represents a key moment in the modern history of Portugal and, more specifically, Lisbon. World Monuments Fund is working with the Port of Lisbon Administration to conserve the buildings and their murals and help revitalize this portion of the port for future generations.
DAY 3
Tuesday, May 7
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Morning
National Palace of Queluz
The Palace of Queluz is one of the last great Rococo buildings to be designed in Europe. Built in the late eighteenth century as a summer retreat for the Portuguese royal family, the Palace Gardens are renowned for their sculptures, ornate fountains and waterfalls, a Grand Canal, numerous lakes, and ceramic tiles—or azulejos—decorated with historic scenes. WMF Portugal launched a conservation program at the site in 2004. Through collaboration with World Monuments Fund Britain, the Portuguese Government, and local institutions, this project resulted in the restoration of the gardens and conservation of decorative features. This visit will include a guided tour of the palace and the gardens.
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Lunch
The group will travel to nearby Estoril, a seaside town that has been a retreat for royalty and celebrities for generations. While there the group will enjoy lunch in a private home.
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Afternoon
Sintra
Sintra is a charming Portuguese town situated within the cooling hills of the Serra de Sintra. The town is best known for its castles, palaces, and the natural beauty of the surrounding mountains. While in Sintra, the group will tour the National Palace, the best-preserved medieval royal residence in Portugal, inhabited more or less continuously from at least the early 15th century to the late nineteenth century. WMF Portugal has begun a new project to restore the azulejos (decorative glazed tiles) throughout the palace, and the guided tour will highlight this work along with the spectacular spaces within the palace complex.
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Dinner
The group will continue to enjoy Sintra and the surrounding area with dinner at Tivoli Palácio de Seteais, a former palace from the eighteenth century.
Queluz Palace
Queluz Palace is considered to be one of Portugal’s most beautiful monuments and one of the last great rococo palaces in Europe. Inspired by the palace of Versailles, it’s known as both “Royal Palace of Queluz” and “National Palace of Queluz.” It was built in 1747 with lavish formal gardens, and was the official residence of the royal family in the late 1700s.
World Monuments Fund’s restoration of the gardens included organizing specialized training workshops for the conservation of stone, lead, and decorative tiles. From 2004 to 2006, forty thousand tiles were digitally mapped to review conditions and conservation needs, followed by repairs and cleaning. Training workshops for conservation of the marble and limestone statues and balustrades were also organized for local artisans and a collaboration with WMF Britain resulted in the conservation of John Cheere’s extraordinary sculptures.
DAY 4
Wednesday, May 8
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Morning
The group will travel by bus to the region north of Lisbon to explore the diversity of Portugal’s cultural heritage. The first stop will be a special visit to Alcobaça Monastery, considered one of the first examples of Gothic architecture in Portugal. The group will explore the monastery on a guided tour.
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Afternoon
After lunch at the nearby Montebelo Mosteiro de Alcobaça, the journey will continue with a visit to another landmark of medieval Portugal, the Monastery of Batalha. This complex was begun in the late fourteenth century and is one of the best examples of Late Flamboyant Gothic architecture in Portugal.
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Evening
Upon arriving in Ílhavo, the group will check into the Montebelo ‘Vista Alegre’ Ílhavo Hotel. The hotel is within the historic Vista Alegre porcelain factory area, that also includes the former palace of the Vista Alegre founders, the painters’ studios, the Chapel and the Vista Alegre Museum. An optional tour of the Vista Alegre Museum will be available if you are interested in learning more about the history of Portugal’s most famous porcelain manufacturers.
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Dinner
The experience of Portugal’s Central region continues at dinner, where the group will also enjoy a special fado performance. This traditional Portuguese genre of music is characterized by melancholy-infused songs accompanied by guitars.
DAY 5
Thursday, May 9
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Morning
The group will enjoy a guided tour of the Buçaco National Forest. Covering more than 100 hectares, Buçaco Forest is one of the most luxuriant areas of woodland in the whole of Portugal. Buçaco is a hidden world of moss-covered paths crisscrossing an enchanting wonderland of grottoes, tiny chapels, pools, fountains and fertile forest. In 1628, the Order of the Discalced Carmelites built Buçaco’s famous monastery, later adding the walls which still mark its boundary today.
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Lunch
After exploring the forest, the group will have lunch at the Bussaco Palace Hotel. The palace was built between 1888 and 1907, in Neo-Manueline style, evoking the sixteenth-century architectural style that characterized buildings like the Jerónimos Monastery and the Belém Tower.
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Afternoon
On the return journey to Lisbon, the group will stop in Coimbra to tour the Joanine Library of the University of Coimbra. Built in the early eighteenth century at the behest of Portugal’s King John V, the Joanine Library was constructed to house the book collection of the University of Coimbra. Today it is one of the most significant archival libraries in the world. It contains some 56,000 volumes, many of which date from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. WMF placed the Library on the 2014 World Monuments Watch, and undertook work to improve the climate control system to better protect the collection.
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Evening
A special farewell dinner will be hosted at the home of Christian Louboutin. The renowned designer has been inspired by Portugal since his first visits in the early 1990s. He recently opened his first hotel in the village of Melides, south of Lisbon.
Buçaco National Forest
Buçaco Forest was first settled in the sixth century by friars from a nearby Benedictine monastery; five hundred years later the Bishops of Coimbra took possession of the forest and in 1628 donated it to the Order of Discalced Carmelites. The Carmelite monks promptly built a convent, perimeter walls and the first of the forest’s ten gates. Two papal bulls were issued during this period: the first, dated 1622, prohibited women from entering the forest; the second, dated 1643, threatened to excommunicate anyone found harming the trees. The text of both bulls is engraved on stone tablets affixed to the outer wall of Portas de Coimbra. At the end of the seventeenth century small chapels representing the Stations of the Cross were built along the Via Sacra, a steep, winding path that leads from the convent to the forest’s highest point, Cruz Alta. The length of the path and distances between chapels were carefully measured to depict Christ’s journey from the Mount of Olives to Calvary.
DAY 6
Friday, May 10: Departures
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Morning
Individual departures from Portugal
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Optional Extension
For those interested in extending their time in Portugal, we have reserved rooms at Christian Louboutin’s Vermelho Hotel in Melides. Please indicate your interest on the registration form.
*Please note that this programme will be subject to change. We look forward to keeping you updated. Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.
