A stag, painted on wood, prances within an ornate octagonal golden frame on the domed and coffered ceiling of the Sala dos Brasões (Coat of Arms Room), added by King Manuel I between 1515 and 1518 to the Palácio Nacional, the Portuguese royal family’s summer retreat at Sintra. The magnificent chamber also features the painted armorial shields of 72 noble families.
Sintra, Lisbon region, Portugal: a stag painted on wood prances within an octagonal gilded frame on the domed and coffered ceiling of the magnificent Sala dos Brasões (Coat of Arms Room) in the Palácio Nacional de Sintra. The ornate ceiling decoration, set against a pale blue background, features elaborate golden botanical designs on black, edged by gilded carved borders. Higher up the ceiling, painted armorial devices represent 72 families who were members of the Portuguese nobility when the room was built in the early 16th century. The Sala dos Brasões was added to the palace between 1515 and 1518 by King Manuel I, who was born in 1469 and reigned from 1497 to 1521. He ruled Portugal, a great seafaring nation, during the early years of the Age of Discovery, when European countries began to explore the rest of the world. Manuel used wealth gained from Portugal's early expeditions to fund his building campaigns and he spawned a new architectural style that still carries his name. Manueline architecture combined Gothic, Renaissance and Islamic Mudéjar influences to display Portugal’s new worldly status and emphasise its new-found confidence. At the Sintra National Palace, the royal family’s retreat from the summer heat of Lisbon, Manuel ordered the construction of a wing to the right of the main facade, decorated with typical Manueline windows, as well as the Sala dos Brasões. Islamic motifs on azulejos tiles in the Manueline wing enhance its Arab character, but the blue azulejos tiles below the ceiling in the Sala dos Brasões depict scenes of gallantry and date from the 1700s.
Size: 5138px × 5138px
Location: Palácio Nacional de Sintra, Sintra, Lisbon region, Portugal.
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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