Top 9 coolest castles in the world
- By Xu Lin
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China.org.cn, October 21, 2011
Pena National Palace (Palacio da Pena) of Portugal (葡萄牙佩納宮城堡)
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Pena National Palace (Palacio da Pena) of Portugal |
If you're thinking that this castle embodies all the emotional aesthetics of the Romanticism, with its chromatic variety and mix of architectural styles, it's probably because the castle was intentionally designed that way. In fact, it now constitutes one of the major expressions of Romanticism in the world, according to Wikipedia. Striding the top of a hill in Sintra, the once-royal palace looks down majestically on its subjects as far away as Lisbon. Built at the behest of Ferdinand II, who wanted a summer retreat, the castle was completed in 1854 and passed on among the royal family until 1889, when it was purchased by the Portuguese state. It now is one of Portugal's most visited monuments and is still used by Portuguese officials for state occasions.
