A very old ritual accompanied the birth of Pedro de Alcântara, future Dom Pedro 1º, on October 12, 1798. His mother, Carlota Joaquina, gave birth to the fourth of her nine children (the second boy) in the Palace of Queluz, near of Lisbon, in an environment of little privacy.
Several members of the Court were at the residence of the Portuguese royal family to ensure that the baby would come out of the mother’s womb, the womb of the queen consort, according to António Nunes Pereira, director of Queluz and other palaces in the region.
They couldn’t watch Carlota Joaquina during the birth because there were curtains, but the fabrics were opened as soon as the baby came into the world so that the courtiers could see the new monarch.
“Today, for us, this is a bit barbaric, but it was common in royal houses across the country”, says Nunes Pereira.
Almost all the children of Dom João 6º and Carlota Joaquina were born in the Dom Quixote room, in Queluz. Yes, a living room, not a bedroom. More precisely, an “apparatus room”, a noble environment of the palace, where royalty used to meet with advisers.
When Carlota Joaquina was about to give birth, a bed was set up in the enclosure and quickly dismantled after birth.
In the case of Dom Pedro 1º (Dom Pedro 4º for the Portuguese), there is a particularity: he died in the same room where he was born, 35 years later. The bed, however, is not the original.
Among the director’s plans is the reconstitution of the bed used in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
The space has 18 paintings that recall passages from the book “Don Quixote”, by Miguel de Cervantes, as well as engravings and lithographs that portray the first emperor of Brazil at various times, personal items and explanatory panels.
The Queluz Palace deserves a visit for stories like these, especially now, in the midst of reflections on the 200th anniversary of the separation of Brazil and Portugal.
In addition to the historical interest, the architecture draws attention, which combines baroque, rococo and neoclassical styles.
Built in the mid-18th century, Queluz was used by the royal family as a summer farm. It became more relevant in 1794 when it was occupied by Dom João 6º and his family after the Real Barraca da Ajuda, a wooden building, was destroyed by fire.
Other monarchs promoted reforms in Queluz, but it was Dom João 6º who carried out the greatest expansion of the palace.
According to Nunes Pereira, the main constructive and decorative marks of the place are associated with the son of Queen Maria 1st, known among us as “the Madwoman”.
Under the threat of Napoleon’s France, the family left Queluz in November 1807 and settled in Rio de Janeiro. On her return to Portugal, 14 years later, Carlota Joaquina spent a period at Paço do Ramalhão and then moved to Queluz, where she lived until her death in 1830.
Dom João 6º —who had chosen the Bemposta palace, in Lisbon— and Carlota Joaquina wanted to distance themselves from each other. But they had at least one point in common, the appreciation for concerts and recitals.
Completed in 1759, the Music Room is one of the best preserved spaces in Queluz, with gilded carvings on the walls, which make references to violins and other instruments. Under a painting depicting Maria 1st, there is a piano that is over 200 years old, still used today.
The space was often used for festive receptions. “There are in archives at least 84 serenades commissioned from great European composers for performances in Queluz”, says the director of the palace.
When the number of guests was large, they opted for the adjacent space, the Throne Room, the largest of the palace’s state rooms. The exuberant chandeliers stand out and, as in the Music Room, the meticulous work of sculptors and carvers on the side walls and ceiling.
Among all the environments in Queluz, this is the space where the rococo, with delicate lines and full of minutiae, is most evident.
Despite the name, the Throne Room, the majestic seats of the monarchs are not in this place, but in the Ambassadors’ Room, a little further on in the itinerary suggested to visitors. It is there where the tributes to royalty took place, the famous “beija-mão”.
A painting on the ceiling, which shows the royal family during a musical performance, and large vases brought from China are among the highlights of the decoration of this space.
Reserve at least three hours to visit the entire Queluz complex — of these three, dedicate at least one hour to visit the gardens.
Designed by French architect Jean Baptiste Robillion, the Upper Gardens are connected to the noblest floors of the palace. The Music Room is an example: just open the doors to reach the geometric flowerbeds, small lakes and marble sculptures.
In another garden, the botanical one, is the Lago das Medalhas, which is shaped like an octagon. Also designed by Robillion, it is the largest of Queluz’s lakes.
The gardens, says Nunes Pereira, were often used for recreation by the royal family. Among the diversions, they rode in gondolas on the tile-covered canal, next to the Botanical Garden. Unlike the flowerbeds, the canal would deserve more care in terms of conservation.
The palace is located in a town of the same name, Queluz, which belongs to the municipality of Sintra. For those in central Lisbon, the train is the cheapest alternative.
Just go to Rossio station, take the vehicle towards Sintra and get off at Queluz – Belas or Queluz – Monte Abraão stations, a journey that takes around 20 minutes. Then a 15-minute walk takes you to the palace.
If you prefer to spend a few euros more, saving time, taxis and app cars take around 15 minutes from the center of the Portuguese capital to Queluz.
Journalist Naief Haddad traveled to Portugal at the invitation of TAP
