Former Guardhouse restores authenticity to Monserrate entrance

Parques de Sintra has completed the restoration and adaptation of the former Guardhouse, reinstating its role as the entrance to the Park and Palace of Monserrate. The space now accommodates the monument’s ticket office, providing visitors with an enhanced welcome experience while also ensuring improved working conditions for the company’s staff.

The ticket office includes a visitor information area and a point of sale for tickets to all the parks and monuments managed by Parques de Sintra. The space also features an area dedicated to cultural merchandise inspired by Monserrate, enriching the visitor experience.

‘This refurbishment is part of the management and conservation plan for the Park and Palace of Monserrate. It encompassed the conservation and restoration of the Guardhouse façades, the repair of the roof, the upgrading of infrastructure, and the installation of scenic lighting on the façade and at the main entrance to the Park,’ noted João Sousa Rego, Chairman of the Board of Parques de Sintra.

Throughout its history, Monserrate has inspired travellers, artists, and writers, particularly from England, who celebrated its beauty in accounts and engravings. It was Francis Cook, a wealthy 19th-century industrialist and art collector, who, captivated by the site, created the Romantic masterpiece we know today as the Park and Palace of Monserrate.