The Convent of the Capuchos' Cloister is surrounded by the convent's woods and was a place for meditation and contemplation of Nature.

Convent of the Capuchos

The Convent of the Capuchos or Cork Convent was established in 1560. It is noteworthy for the extreme poverty of its construction, which represents the ideal of the Order of St Francis of Assisi, and for the extensive use of cork in the protection and decoration of its small spaces.

The Convent of the Capuchos incorporates the granite boulders present on the hillside and its construction is organically adapted to the relief of the landscape. – © PSML / EMIGUS

The Courtyard of the Crosses marks the entrance to the Convent of the Capuchos, which embodies the ideal of universal brotherhood lived by the Franciscan friars who dwelt there for centuries. – © PSML / EMIGUS

In the entrance porch, the symbolic language of the meager decoration displays the guidelines in the life of the Franciscan friars that inhabited this convent. – © PSML / EMIGUS

Convent of the Capuchos was abandoned in 1834, with the abolition of the religious orders brought about by the liberal regime. – © Val Thoermer / Shutterstock

The Convent of the Capuchos incorporates the granite boulders present on the hillside and its construction is organically adapted to the relief of the landscape. – © PSML / EMIGUS

EBuilt with respect for the harmony between human and divine construction, it is based on nature, inseparable from the vegetation, incorporating enormous granite rocks into the building. It is said that Filipe I of Portugal (II of Spain), after visiting Sintra and the Convent of the Capuchos in 1581, commented that the two places he liked most in all his kingdoms were the Escorial for its wealth and the Convent of the Capuchos for its poverty. “In my Kingdoms, there are two things I have that greatly please me: El Escorial because it is very rich and the ‘Convento de Santa Cruz’ because it is very poor.”

The corridor to the cells was an area reserved for meditation and intimate reflection and was restricted to the eight resident friars. – © PSML / EMIGUS

The wood that surrounds it, having survived the gradual deforestation of the Sintra hills, was cared for and maintained for centuries by the friars who lived in the Convent. It therefore constitutes an exceptional example of the primitive forest of the Sintra hills, made up principally of deciduous oaks, with elements of the Mediterranean maquis, such as a great profusion of ferns, mosses, epiphytes and climbing plants, which wrap and cloak everything in a dense tangle of vegetation. Because of its rarity, its state of conservation and the importance of many specimens, this wood represents an important natural asset worth safeguarding.

Visit

Convent of the Capuchos

Hours

Open every day of the year, except December 25th and January 1st.
10:00 – 18:00, last ticket and last admission 17:00.

Pricing

Ticket for adults (18 – 64 yrs): € 6
Ticket for youths (6 – 17 yrs): € 5,5
Ticket for seniors (over 65 yrs): € 5 ,5
Family ticket (2 adults + 2 youths): € 22

To benefit from a reduction on your visit to several sites, you can buy combined tickets for several sites.