Palace & château
Palace of Mafra
🇵🇹 Portugal · 18th century
The Palace of Mafra (Portuguese: Palácio de Mafra), also known as the Palace-Convent of Mafra and the Royal Building of Mafra (Real Edifício de Mafra), is a monumental Baroque and Neoclassical palace-monastery located in Mafra, Portugal, some 28 kilometres from Lisbon. Construction began in 1717 under King John V of Portugal and was completed in 1755.
The palace was classified as a National Monument in 1910 and was also a finalist in the Seven Wonders of Portugal. On 7 July 2019, the Royal Building of Mafra – Palace, Basilica, Convent, Cerco Garden and Hunting Park (Tapada) was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Text adapted from “Palace of Mafra” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Palace of Mafra ranks #353 of 7,738 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #5 of the 200 mapped in Portugal. Founded 1717, it is older than 21% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 525 atlas entries founded in the 18th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 10,218 times in the last 60 days, more than 93% of the atlas. Wikidata records about 190,000 visitors in 2022. 10 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Sintra, 16 km away. See how Portugal compares in the castle statistics.
View on the interactive castle map →Frequently asked questions
Where is Palace of Mafra?
Palace of Mafra stands in Portugal, at 38.93692°, -9.32639°.
When was Palace of Mafra built?
The atlas dates its founding to 1717. Earlier structures may have stood on the site; this is the earliest documented founding year.
Is Palace of Mafra a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
Yes — Palace of Mafra is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, per its Wikidata entry.
How famous is Palace of Mafra?
In this atlas's fame ranking: #353 of 7,738 worldwide, and #5 in Portugal. Fame here combines how many Wikipedia language editions cover a landmark with how many people read them.
What is the nearest castle to Palace of Mafra?
Fort of Alqueidão, about 16 km away.
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