2-376-864 - Samuel Magal/Sites & Photos/Heritage Images

The Benediction Gallery in the Mafra National Palace (Palacio de Mafra), Mafra, Portugal, 2009. The Benediction Gallery (Sala da Bencao) borders the upper level of the basilica. The bust of King John V in this hall is possibly by Alessandro Giusti. The Mafra National Palace is a monumental Baroque and Italianised Neoclassical palace-monastery located in Mafra, Portugal. The palace, which also served as a Franciscan monastery, was built during the reign of King John V (1707-1750), in consequence of a vow made by the king in 1711, who promised to build a convent if his wife, the Queen Mary Anne of Austria (1683-1754), gave him descendants. The birth of his first daughter, the princess Barbara of Braganza, made the king initiate the construction of the palace. This vast complex is among the most sumptuous Baroque buildings in Portugal and one of the biggest buildings constructed in Europe in the 18th century.