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Press Review The oldest hotel |
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Lord Byron and some of Portugal's
most famous XIX century writers lied staying at Lawrence's Hotel - the
oldest hotel in the Iberian Peninsular - which has just opened its doors
again, after being renovated. In the restaurant of this romantic hotel,
which evokes nostalgia for the past and is so characteristic of Sintra, "(...) And everywhere was enveloped in the gentleness of the luminous April air. In front of Lawrence's Hotel. Carlos slackened his pace and pointed it out to Cruges `It looks really nice' said the conductor". Those comments were made on one of the visits by It was founded in 1764 by Jane Lawrence, who was "And where are you, Alenquer?", asked Carlos |
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A hotel in paradise Lawrence's Hotel is the oldest in the Iberian Peninsula and the second oldest in the world. It became well known when Lord Byron moved into the hotel at the beginning of the XIX century. The famous romantic novelist was staying at Lawrence s in 1809 and it was there that he wrote part of his book "The journey of Childe Harold", in which he tells of his experiences when traveling through Europe and where Sintra is described as paradise.  The
cosy, family atmosphere, which even in those days characterised this hotel,
is described in considerable detail in the middle of the XIX century by
Lady Jackson in her book `Beautiful Lusitânia'.She was an English writer who paid a visit to Sintra. The book was translated into Portuguese and prefaced by Camilo Castelo Branco. "I think that, the furniture in the small hall is vaguely reminiscent of the style that predominated in Portugal in times gone by; and that can still be found in old houses where tables, chairs. chests of drawers and piers are covered in scarlet cloth or damask of any colour (...) Now, the. muslin and velveteen in Mrs Lawrence's establishment, were white and clean; and since everything was clean, one would expect, that any true lover of the country life would be content with that, arid would dispense with such cleanliness if their aim was to live in the countryside of picturesque Sintra". In this book, the author also refers to Mrs Lawrence, as "a woman of advanced years" who had been living in Portugal for some time. According to Lady Jackson "the old lady who was rude at first changed her tune and became far more agreeable... ". |
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Rooms with names Lawrence's Hotel had various owners, besides Jane Lawrence. In 1850 the hotel was sold to another English person - Duran - and became known as the Hospedaria Inglesa (English Inn). In 1900 it changed hands again and the new owner Miguel Gallway extended the building to use part of it for making pastry: Pastéis de feijão (a kind of sweet tart made with beans) were first produced in its kitchens. In 1935 Maria Janacova bought the building and called it 'Estalagem dos Cavaleiros' (Knights' Inn). It closed down in the 60s and was subsequently bought by Guedes Hare, who started the process of reconstructing it. Finally, in 1989, the building was acquired by a Dutch couple. Coreen and Jan Willem Bos, and reconstruction was completed according to plans drawn up by the architect Thiago Braddell. The hotel reopened in 1999 with its original name, its original facade and character'- albeit with certain innovations brought about by modern technology: air conditioning, heating, Internet, satellite TV and jacuzzi, inter alia. What would Eça de Queirós's characters have to say about these innovations? Instead of having numbers, many of the rooms and suites in the new Lawrence's Hotel have the name of illustrious former guests like Eça de Queirós, Lord Byron, Alexandre Herculano, Camilo Castelo Branco and William Beckford. Beckford was there at the end of the XVIII century and talks about a lunch at Lawrence s in his book "The Marchioness's Minuets ".  The
restaurant where the lunch which Beckford describes actually took place
has been renovated. It is spacious anl bright because of the ample windows,
and the decor is tasteful. There are also some quiet alcoves, including
the "Salinha das Riscas" (small striped room), which the current
Prime Minister of Portugal is particularly fond of. The restaurant enjoys
a good reputation in the area, and every meal is special - with fresh
local produce featuring prominently. The dinner services used are Vista
Alegre, specially made-to-order and 'personalised' with the coat of arms
of Lawrence's Hotel. |
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Lord Byron Lord
Byron is one of the important figures roost closely associated with Lawrence's
Hotel, because he stayed there for quite a while when he was in Portugal.
He was a leading protagonist of Romanticism in the XIX century, together
with Keats and Shelley. George Noel Byron was born in London and taken
by his mother, Catherine Gordon, to Aberdeen in Scotland. While still
a child, he inherited the estate and tithe of 5th Baron of Byron and later
went on to study at Cambridge.He was a member of Parliament, - he had a brief spell in the House of Lords. There was a daughter, Augusta Ada, from an ephemeral marriage but she was left behind in England when he began his journey through Switzerland, Greece, Turkey, Spain and Portugal. In Switzerland he had another daughter, Alba Allegra. Byron eulogised Camões, who he considered a true bard in his book "English Bards, Scottish Critics", written in response to some scathing criticism of his works. His life closely paralleled that of atypical romantic hero with. all the adventures, internal conflicts and paradoxes. To this day several important names in the world of Literature, Art and Music have been influenced by his personality and lifestyle. Byron died at the age of 36 in Greece's War of Independence (against, Turkey). |
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