Palácio Fronteira, Lisbon

Palácio Fronteira is a Portuguese palace in Lisbon, created in 1671 as a hunting pavilion for João Mascarenhas, Marquis of Fronteira. It remains the private home of the Fronteira marquises, while selected rooms, the library and the garden welcome visitors. Glazed tiles animate the house and grounds with battle scenes and monkeys playing trumpets.

In the Room of the Battles, panels recount episodes from the Portuguese Restoration War, including Montijo, Arronches and Montes Claros. The chapel façade is covered with stones, shells, shattered glass and porcelain. As local tradition has it, these pieces were deliberately broken after the inauguration so they could not be used again.

The garden extends across 5,5 hectares and includes tiled images of the arts and mythological figures. A stone staircase leads to a gallery of busts of Portugal’s kings.