The elegant Sintra National Palace may look fairly restrained from the outside, but inside one of its rooms hides a ceiling filled with gossip, humor, and a very clever king.
According to legend, John I of Portugal was once caught by his queen, Philippa of Lancaster, giving a playful kiss to one of her ladies-in-waiting in the palace. As expected in a royal court, the incident quickly became the subject of whispers among the ladies.
The king’s response? Pure medieval public relations.
To silence the gossip, he ordered the ceiling of the room to be painted with 136 magpies — one for every lady of the court. Each bird holds a banner in its beak with the words “Por bem” (“For good” or “With good intentions”), the king’s way of declaring that the kiss was entirely harmless.
The choice of bird was no accident. In Portuguese culture, magpies are associated with chatter and gossip, making the ceiling both a joke and a gentle warning.
Look closely and you’ll also notice many magpies holding a rose, a subtle nod to the red rose of Lancaster — the symbol of Queen Philippa’s English royal house.
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image source - Wikimedia Commons A scandal turned into ceiling art. Medieval damage control at its finest.
I like this a lot, the scandal and the room. Love the little mice too 😀
ReplyDeleteNow that is interesting, but what a good story of the day gone passed, and people gossiped even back then. Love the ceiling and your mice :)
ReplyDeleteGossip has been around forever, I notice.
ReplyDeleteI think the ceiling with the magpies and the little mice is beautiful.
I wish you a wonderful Easter.
All the best, Irma
What an interesting blog about tidbits from days gone by that I didn’t know about from that era. The interior inside here is really beautiful, and a ceiling like that must have taken a lot of work. The mice certainly feel right at home here. Thanks for sharing, and I wish you a happy Easter. Best regards, Tine
ReplyDeleteFascinating
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting story-- and ceiling!
ReplyDeleteBoth clever and humorous, Veronica! I love you AI mice, too. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteA very clever king....I love megpies.
ReplyDeleteInteresting historical information about the ceiling filled with gossip. I would like to visit Sintra National Palace. Thanks for sharing, Veronica.
ReplyDelete...many things never change.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story and such cool art that came out of it!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting
ReplyDeleteGreat story. History is very interesting. Cute mice, Veronica!
ReplyDeletePena Palace?
ReplyDeleteI mean, what was the king doing? Sure, the talk might have been disruptive, but I wonder at the incident that started it all.
THis is fascinating! What a wonderful story. And the ceiling is just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteLove the story behind the ceiling.
ReplyDeleteWishing you and your family a happy and blessed Easter!
P.S. I'm still trying to find some pictures online of what the interior of that skinny house in your last post looks like.
Me gusto el cuarto y la leyenda . El techo es genial Te mando un beso.
ReplyDeleteLiebe Veronica,
ReplyDeletees ist immer wieder großartig welche Informationen und Einblicke Du uns bietest. Das ist eine tolle Geschichte. Wenn der Frühling grüßt dann hüpft das Herz vor Freude. Frohe Ostertage.
Herzlichst
Kerstin und Helga
Great article and beautiful place. Have a nice weekend ok
ReplyDeleteNiech te Święta Wielkanocne przyniosą spokój, nadzieję i chwilę prawdziwego oddechu od codzienności. Życzę Wam dużo ciepła, bliskości i radości z małych rzeczy. Niech ten czas będzie pełen dobrej energii i nowych początków. Wesołych Świąt!
ReplyDeleteAngelika
Such a fun post and the mice are so adorable!
ReplyDeleteThe thing with the magpies was very clever of the king.
ReplyDeleteI adore medieval art, they had strange perspectives on life back then, have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteHow fun! The desk and chairs are so cool.
ReplyDeleteSuch an interesting fun post!!
ReplyDeleteSo nice. I like...
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter!
Viola
Reading this post, Veronica Lee, now makes me regret that I did not tour the Sintra Palace when we visited the city on a tour last fall. Instead, we decided to spend our short time there exploring the city. If we ever return, i’ll remember to check out that ceiling!
ReplyDeleteOh goodness what fun to hear about gossip, with humor and a clever king which is all the things that make for a clever and interesting story. Your mice couple are adorable. Enjoy your week ahead take care.
ReplyDeleteAnother incredible story, and what an interesting ceiling!
ReplyDeleteSuch an interesting bit of history and what a stunning ceiling! Gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteMedieval damage control really was on another level. Thanks for sharing the story behind the magpies!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Indeed I notice the "Of Mice and Men" similitude in the name of your blog also long ago. By the way I live 1 km far from Palacio da Pena in straight line :)
ReplyDeleteHello Veronica,
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting post and bit of history. The Magpie ceiling is fun and unexpected. I like the cute AI mice. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a great day and happy week ahead.
wonderful historical account of the King of Portugal ~ love the magpies and the rose ~ thanks, Hugs ^_^
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed hearing the legend of this site. Those are always fun to hear. There is a lot of detail in this old building. I liked the magpie story as well. I used to see lots of magpies at a park near my hometown. They were easy to photograph because they didn't fly away that quickly like some of the other birds. I wish you a happy week.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a marvelous tale! It perfectly illustrates that a good dose of humor mixed with a bit of sly wisdom can be quite a powerful tool. I've seen a few historic buildings with witty ceilings, but this is by far the best!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a story, very interesting.
ReplyDeleteI love that the ceilings tell a story!
ReplyDeleteI love ❤️ this, Veronica. The mice are adorable to boot.
ReplyDelete