Quinta da Regaleira. Sintra, Portugal.
Good evening. I am Doctor António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro, and I am one those people who are called a lucky man. Right from my birth in Brazil, I had all that a human being needs for a happy life. My Portuguese parents were rich and healthy, and I was a rich and healthy boy. Later, I was sent to my historical motherland, Portugal, to study in the University of Coimbra. Graduated in law, I returned to Brazil to make from my parents' money, much more money, by trading in coffee and precious stones. One day, people gave me the nickname, Millionaire. Was it enjoyable? Maybe, but every day I remembered my student life in Coimbra; it was more enjoyable and interesting.
My friend Luigi Manini and I often sat in a cafe talking about Templars, Rosicrucians, Masons, etc. Esotericism is a very interesting topic. No one knows for sure what is it, where is it, and how is it. Everyone can say what he thinks and no one can catch him in a lie. How could we know that in the future all our conversations would result in the birth of the unique garden, villa, and chapel in the town of Sintra, Portugal; our Palácio da Regaleira would be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and people would remember me not as Monteiro the Millionaire, but as doctor Carvalho Monteiro, the creator of one of the most unusual and mystical gardens in the world?
When I had made so much money that I could live well the rest of my life I resolved that it was time to return to Portugal. My father was a very close friend of the king of Portugal, so I could count on the hospitality of this country. The summer residence of the king's family was located in the mountains of Sintra not far from Lisbon, so I decided to buy land there. Sintra has a unique mix of mountains, humidity, and heat. This is an ideal place for growing an exotic and mystical garden, and I found a villa with a large plot of land. Read more....
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