The Reality of Dreams

One of the Seven Wonders of Portugal, Palacio National da Pena, a fairy tale palace standing on top of a hill above Sintra is said to be the oldest palace inspired by European Romanticism. Thought I know a few things about Romanticism – as a believer in cross-cultural currents- I know of Romantic poetry, and drama, painting, music and even of the “age of reflection” impact on science (love it! I have to write on this soon) but seeing this castle made me wonder what is it that makes Romantic architecture, Romantic.

Imagination? Intuitive perception? Visually strong colour combinations or mood? Strong emotions? (…) Drama! Dream like pictures maybe?

I can’t go wrong if I say Palacio da Pena reflects the mood of Romantic lyrical poetry of that time. I’m not just saying it: there’s evidence. It’s Byron who wrote in a letter to a friend that the “village of Sintra is the most beautiful in the world” and called it a “glorious Eden”. You can’t really go more Romantic than that, can you? I am sure you expected a looooooong theory to explain what makes this palace Romantic. Well, I guess Byron’s testimony will do. He sounds very convincing, even managed to make me choose Sintra over Evora – a long-time (childhood, in fact) favourite. For many years most visitors haven’t been aware of the original chromatic variety of the palace; it used to be entirely grey, as the colours of its facades faded. It was only at the end of the 20th century that the original colours were restored.

Romantic writers experimented with opium and other drugs (no names, sorry) and that’s because they wanted to drive out reason just so imagination can take away. Same did the Surrealists looking for states in which what is deep down in our minds may come to surface. I love the strange confusion between dream and reality, I’ve got imagination and hope and therefore true freedom. I believe in the reality of our dreams (yes, Dali’s, you read my mind)

Call me irrational (please do, I’ll love it!) and let’s never talk about you can’t save the world, Didi thing again!