Italian Palace, New York
The letter of the first King of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques to the 30 villagers who inhabited the Castle of Sintra dates back to 1154. The same King delivered in 1156 to the Ordem dos Templários "A very good houses of this Vila" which is thought to be the place of the current Café Paris and the Hotel Central. In the 16th Century, Sintra was already visited by countless artists, beginning at that time the construction of summer farms that little by little will punctuating the landscape. At that time Sintra became a very bucolic, important and special place. In 1755 the town of Sintra also suffers the effects of the earthquake that hit Lisbon, so it becomes necessary to rebuild the Old Town. In the 19th Century the Village of Sintra is a great inspiration of the artists and writers of the Romantic movement, which increasingly attracts the Nobility and the Bourgeoisie of the time and, consequently, Palaces, Manor Houses and Chalés are being built. At that time it was built one of the most prestigious farms the "Quinta do Saldanha", part of the History of Sintra. The farm was built in 1830 by the Marquis of Saldanha, maternal grandson of the Marquis of Pombal, Prime Minister of King D. José. In 1987, restoration works were carried out for two years, both outside and inside.