Parques de Sintra restores the duck houses of the Valley of the Lakes in the Park of Pena and the Monument to King Ferdinand II

In the Valley of the Lakes at the Park of Pena, conservation and restoration work on the built structures is being carried out over a two-month period, focusing particularly on the octagonal and castellated duck houses and the Monument to King Ferdinand II — iconic features of this historic garden. Concentrating on the multicoloured plastered/limewashed surfaces, as well as on the stone and metal elements, the intervention aims to stabilise the typical processes of deterioration associated with the environment in which these structures are located. The work consists mainly of cleaning, filling historical mortars, conserving the original colour schemes, and applying biocidal products based on essential oils, which safeguard the Park’s fauna and flora.

Because this work involves built heritage that coexists closely with natural heritage, these interventions, carried out as part of the Park of Pena’s Conservation and Restoration Maintenance Plan, require particular care. To avoid compromising the natural setting of these features and to preserve their integration with the surrounding flora and fauna, Parques de Sintra carefully selects the materials and methodologies it employs.

The duck houses of the Valley of the Lakes date from around 1843 and were originally designed to provide shelter for waterfowl. Perfectly integrated into the romantic landscape of the Park of Pena, their architecture evokes the two most imposing constructions within King Ferdinand II’s domains in the Sintra Hills: the ruins of the Moorish Castle and the Palace of Pena, which crowns the entire ensemble.

The Monument to King Ferdinand II was inaugurated in 1935 as a tribute from the people of Sintra. The bronze bust of the Artist King, created by the skilful sculptor José da Fonseca, is accompanied by a commemorative plaque marking the establishment of the park.