New project revives forgotten lives of the National Palace of Sintra – from servants to royals

From kings and queens to stewards, priests and servants, the thousand-year history of the National Palace of Sintra is populated by countless lives. However, many of these lives were erased by the passage of time due to gender, social class, or ethnicity. Seeking to present a historical narrative that is plural, inclusive, accessible and relevant to today's world, Parques de Sintra unveiled an innovative audiovisual project on 29 May at 7:00pm, at the National Palace of Sintra. Based on rigorous historical research and brought to life by well-known Portuguese actors and actresses, the project gives voice, face and story to 14 forgotten individuals who lived or worked in the palace over the centuries.

The result is 14 short films, integrated into the monument’s exhibition route, which surprise visitors and offer an immersive, empathetic and emotionally resonant experience. This new approach transforms the way people understand and relate to the palace. By coming into contact with the real-life stories, feelings, and challenges of those who once lived in the Palace, visitors gain deeper insight into the social and political contexts of the time, as well as the roles these individuals performed. Through these testimonies, one can learn, for example, what a treasurer or a prayer servant did.

This project brings a human dimension to the museography of the National Palace of Sintra, shifting the perspective. Its story is now told by figures who had been forgotten, though their lives are historically documented. The Treasurer boasts of the rewards earned through good management of the palace, the Ambassador shares his experience of attending an audience with the king, the Servant recalls her baptism day, the Cook confesses his romantic adventures, and King Sebastião’s Tutor reflects on teaching the young monarch to read and write.

Among these 14 figures, the queens of Portugal – notably Leonor Teles, Isabel of Aragon, Philippa of Lancaster, Catherine of Austria, Luisa de Guzmán and Maria I – hold a special place in a room dedicated entirely to them. These women, once the sovereign ladies of Sintra, were largely excluded from the monument’s recent history. Yet Sintra and its surrounding lands were once part of the patrimony granted to the queens by the kings of Portugal, ensuring their financial autonomy. For most of the palace's history, the queens were the highest authority in Sintra, and the Palace served as the seat of their lordly power. Their memory now returns to a place that was theirs too.

To bring these historical figures back to life, the project features performances by Lígia Roque, Inês Curado, Paula Lobo Antunes, Valerie Braddell, Carla Chambel, Isabel Medina, Cleo Malulo, Jorge Silva, Martinho Silva, José Leite, Paulo Filipe Monteiro, Cátia Ribeiro, Sérgio Silva and Ricardo Monteiro.

In the Queens’ Room, six queens are represented in life-sized portrait frames. Each frame remains in a subtle resting mode until the visitor interacts with it, prompting the respective queen to come to life and begin speaking. Elsewhere in the Palace, visitors will find interactive stations (similar to tablets), through which they can meet and listen to the other characters in the project. The content is available in both Portuguese and English.

Since 2020, the museography of the National Palace of Sintra has been undergoing ongoing review and renewal, with the aim of transforming it into a space that offers enriching, diverse experiences for all visitors. This initiative reinforces the new thematic narrative of the exhibition circuit through an audiovisual solution, which complements the free new audio guide, the 360º virtual tour, the Sintra Palace Treasure Hunt game, and a wide range of guided tour options provided by Parques de Sintra.

The project is the result of a collaboration between Parques de Sintra; Realizasom, responsible for the technological and museographic solutions; and LoboMau Produções, which produced the audiovisual content. It was made possible through the Mobilising Agenda “ATT – Accelerate and Transform Tourism”, of which Parques de Sintra – Monte da Lua, S.A. is a partner entity. The agenda is supported by the RRP – Recovery and Resilience Plan and the European Union’s Next Generation EU funds (more information at: www.recuperarportugal.gov.pt).