João Paulo Freire e Carlos de Passos, Mafra, Col. Monumentos de Portugal, nº 1, Porto, Ed. Litografia Nacional, 1933

THE PALACE

The principal part comprehends the stately storey, divided into large rooms and prolonged by the terraces. Before 1807, arras and other kinds of tapestry hung from the walls and French and Persian carpets covered the fIoors. Of all these and other fittings, of the delf and china-ware, oriental hangings and paintings, goldplate and furniture, nothing now remains. In the audience chamber one admires the beautiful work in grisaille done by Sequeira. At the present time this storey serves as a museum which was created in 1910. In room I there are paintings by Quillard and in roam K drawings and water-colours by kings D. Carlos and D. Fernando de Saxe. From these rooms, prolonged by the eastern wing you pass to the Library, which is the finest and stateliest room in the whole edifice, not only by reason of the just proportions and good comblnation of Iight, but also owing to its sober and correct rococo decoration; it has a crucial shape, being 88 metres long by 9,50 wide, and was built by the architect Manuel Caetano de Sousa. Its bibliographic richness is noteworthy both as regards its quality and quantity (30.000 volumes), and its preservation is wonderful, due, it is said, to the kind of wood employed in its construction. It contains incunabula, flrst editions, iIIuminated books, manuscripts, etc.

Regardlng the paintings there is one more to be noted, the «Supper» by Quillard (in the Refectory), another «Supper» by Quillard (in the Chapel of the Campo Santo), an «Immaculate Conception» by Sebastião Conca (in the hall of the «Actos»). The boxtree garden occupies the centre of the conventual part with an area of 3630 square metres, laid out after the style of Le Nôtre.
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The site was a mere bed of rock, but this was destroyed to a great depth and replaced by mould.

For the amusement of the king and the court there was the «Tapada» (preserve), where big game (deer, wlld boars, and foxes) abounded. These grounds have a perimeter of 20 kilometres and possess some charming and delightful spots. with an abundance of water.