Queluz Palace Opens Its Renovated Gardens
Closed for renovation for the past couple of years, the gardens of Queluz Palace have now reopened. The clean-up included new plants and the restoration of fountains, but the major works were on the many statues dotted around, including one that hasn’t been in public view since 1967 by the renowned British sculptor John Cheere.
The new plants were placed to recreate how the gardens looked when they opened centuries ago, and a tiled canal that extends for 110 meters was also given a shiny new look.
These historical formal gardens surround one of Portugal’s most beautiful palaces, a scaled-down Portuguese version of Versailles built in the 18th century. It’s located just outside Lisbon in the suburb of Queluz, and it’s easily visited by train on a daytrip. Over 610,000 visitors toured the palace last year, and the renovated gardens will surely attract more this year. That should be good news, considering the high cost of almost 4 million euros spent in this extensive renovation. It was partially financed by the World Monuments Fund, and additional works will continue on 18 ponds and fountains.
