Palacio da Pena is recognized as one of the top ten most beautiful castles in the world. In 1995, it was selected as a World Heritage Site as part of the Sintra Cultural Landscape. It is now frequently used for the state affairs of the Portuguese President and other government officials. In the Middle Ages, it was only a church of the Virgin. In 1493, the Joao II couple came here for pilgrimage, and the successor Manuel I built the monastery. In 1755, the monastery was razed to the ground during the Lisbon earthquake. In 1842-1854, the summer palace was vigorously built. The architect was Baron von Eschwege, the German, who was finally completed in 1885. The palace is both Gothic, Renaissance, Moorish and Manuel.