Sintra, National Palace of

   Located off the main square in the town of Sintra, the National Palace is one of the country's oldest royal residences. Together with its rich mixture of architectural styles from different eras and cultures, the National Palace's long history of being the place where monarchs and councils made historic decisions makes the site today an especially appealing tourist attraction. With its origins in a 14th-century Gothic palace of the era of King Dinis (r. 1279-1325), this monument was added onto and altered in the course of the 15th century. It was in this palace that King João I made the vital decision in 1415 to send an expedition to capture Ceuta in Morocco, the beginning of Portugal's overseas empire. The most important additions to the palace, however, came between 1505 and 1520 under King Manuel I, and the Manueline architectural style was added to the original Gothic. The two massive Gothic kitchen chimneys from an earlier era were incorporated and not changed. Into the Manueline style was blended a strong Moorish art element including decorative tiles or azulejos and an adapted interior mosque, which was converted into a chapel. The National Palace contains the largest repository of the oldest azulejos, some dating to the 15th century, of any palace in Portugal. Among the unusual rooms must be counted the council room (with an ocean view), the Swan Room, and the Magpie Room, with rare, painted ceilings.