The Gardens of Portugal by Helena Atlee

Helena Attlee sheds light on The Gardens of Portugal and their rich history, using twenty gardens to illustrate their development over the centuries.

Portugal's history has been touched by a number of countries and its architecture has borrowed from these influences, namely France, Italy and England, where the visitor will pick up on familiar motifs. The Arabs who settled in Portugal in the eighth century also left a legacy making these gardens unique.

Stunning photography by John Ferro Sims brings it all to life from the zany and unexpected to the more conventional. Helena Attlee explores gardens in the temperate and humid north to the gardens of Lisbon, Sintra and finally to the hotter, arid parts of central Portugal.

The penitential staircase of Bom Jesus do Monte is a wonder of 18th Century landscape architecture. Steep steps zig-zag up the hill towards the shrine atop and the climb is not for the frail or faint-hearted, although there is a funicular railway which was installed in 1882 for weary souls. Little chapels on the ascent mark the fourteen stations of the cross. The setting is also a showcase for magnificent box and camellia topiary.

Paço de São Cipriano is a farmhouse, situated beside a pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela. It is a fine example of the three traditional elements used in designing northern Portuguese gardens. There is clear spring water, carved granite and crisp camellia topiary as well as deep camellia hedges defining the boundaries.

Azulejos, glazed tiles, are a feature that are found everywhere, used to make rectangular panels or tableaux in gardens. The Moorish influence sees the use of oranges and other citrus trees, decorative garden pools and water channels.

The Gardens of Portugal is an enlightening read and fortunately, all the gardens featured are open to the book, with details of opening times in the book. The book's publication will renew interest in this subject and urge its readers to visit Portugal to find out more.

Publication details:
Frances Lincoln
£30
ISBN 0711226938
Buy from www.franceslincoln.com