Convento de Mafra

, one of Portugal’s most impressive national monuments, a 40,000-square-meter monastery. Built in the 18th century by King João V, it is reminiscent of the 16th-century Escorial in Spain, having been intentionally designed to surpass it in grandeur. It took some 50,000 workers 13 years to complete (1717–1730). The basilica occupies the center of the 240-meter façade and is impressive in its proportions. The vestibule contains a number of huge marble statues of saints