The natural landscape of Sintra gives this mythical place a unique beauty. The green of the mountains and the blue of the sea merge, enchanting and inspiring its residents and visitors. The urban agglomeration, which constitutes the so-called Vila Velha, provides, due to its antiquity and heterogeneity, an exciting tour through the human past where one can feel and admire the different eras that governed the flow of history.

A retreat for writers, Monserrate attracted countless foreign travelers, mainly English, who extolled its beauty in travel reports and engravings. When Francis Cook, a wealthy 19th-century English industrialist and great art collector, visited the site, he was fascinated. From this passion was born a masterpiece of Romanticism: a visit to the Park and Palace of Monserrate.