Not far from the small town of Regua where the boat is moored is a fantastic country house called The Mateus Palace (pronounced ‘ma-tah-ush’). Even though it is located in the midst of many vineyards it was never a place where wine was produce.
The palace was built circa 1743 by a wealthy landowner who liked to entertain the royalty and dignitaries of the region so it is very ostentatious in its decor. The ceilings are made from chestnut wood that looks like new and has never been refinished and the floors are pine. The library contains over 4,000 books with the oldest ones from the 15th century meaning they are hand written manuscripts as they were created before the age of the printing press.
The rooms are laid out like a palace with passing rooms, waiting rooms, social rooms and anti-chambers to the Kings room. We also viewed the dining room and smoking room. The kitchen was located below the dining room so that the servants could come up a very narrow, hidden stairway and through a hidden door to set the table, hopefully never to be seen by the nobles.
Surrounding the palace was the most beautiful and intricately designed garden that rivals those in France. The hedges were reportedly trimmed by hand using scissors. So many fragrant and colorful roses. It was truly awesome to walk through!
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