With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, many lovebirds are looking for ways to surprise their significant other on the most romantic day of the year. But at this time of year, it is also important to remember some stories that seem straight out of a Disney movie.
Among the green mountains and impressive palaces, Sintra hides one of its best-kept treasures: the Chalet of the Countess of Edla. Located about 30 kilometers from Lisbon, it is a true love nest, without fairies and dragons, but worthy of any enchanting story.
Love above scandals and asymmetries
©️Samnata | Shutterstock Editorial Use
It all starts with a ‘cliché’: a widowed king, Ferdinand II, fell in love with the opera singer Elise Hensler, about 20 years his junior. It is said that the two met after a performance by the artist at the iconic São Carlos National Theater in Lisbon.
The monarch, who was married to the Portuguese queen Maria II, could not resist the charms of the young woman born in Switzerland and raised in the United States of America. However, as might be expected, the aristocratic society of the time did not look kindly on this romance.
However, Fernando II’s true isolation from the Portuguese court came when he decided to marry Elise Hensler—who was granted the title of Countess of Edla by Ernest of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha shortly before the official union—in 1869.
A true ‘love nest’
©️ PSML_Luis_Duarte/DR | The Lace Room, a space that reflects the richness of detail in the Chalet
Although it was not a love story with a tragic ending, the truth is that the romance between King Fernando II and Elise Hensler was marked by scandal. However, their union overcame the age difference and class disparities, inspiring their own ‘love nest’: the Chalet of the Countess of Edla.
Built between 1864 and 1869, the Chalet of the Countess of Edla is a far cry from the opulence of the Pena Palace, but it is nonetheless tremendously beautiful, both inside and out. Inspired by the Alpine chalets that were in vogue in Europe in the 19th century, the architectural style is a beautiful example of Romanticism.
The mansion is surrounded by a strong scenic backdrop, encompassing very unique features. For example, the horizontal marking of the exterior plaster, painted to imitate wooden plank cladding, is noteworthy, as is the constant use of cork as a decorative element.
The Chalet of the Countess of Edla is also flanked by an exotic landscape, where some elements stand out, such as the Caramanchão and the Pedras do Chalet maze, among others.
From splendor to decay
©️PSML_Luis_Duarte / DR | View of the Sala das Heras, one of the spaces highlighted for its decorative detail
It wasn’t all roses. After the death of King Fernando II, the Countess inherited the Pena Park and all its buildings, including the famous Pena Palace and the Chalet. However, as a result of so much controversy, pressure, and a legal process, the king’s widow ended up selling the property to the State in 1889.
Even so, she continued to live in the Chalet and gardens until 1904, as a usufructuary. However, after a period of splendor, it went through dramatic moments, such as the 1999 fire that devoured much of its essence.
But, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the Chalet of the Countess of Edla was acquired in 2000 by the company Parques de Sintra and underwent reconstruction, which was even distinguished in 2013 with the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage – Europa Nostra, in the Conservation category.
Like the great love story that inspired it, the Chalet of the Countess of Edla also deserved this second wind, continuing to beat in the heart of the Park of Sintra.
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