Tapada Nacional de Mafra
Park in Mafra, Portugal
The Tapada Nacional de Mafra was created in Mafra, Portugal, during the reign of king João V, following the building of the Mafra National Palace, as a park for royal and court recreation.
Covering over 8 square kilometres, the park holds different species of deer, wild boar, foxes, birds of prey and many others coexisting in an unusually rich and diversified natural habitat. A favourite of the Portuguese monarchy for hunting and other leisure pursuits, the Tapada de Mafra took on a noble connotation that has done much to aid its preservation and continuity.
Its natural heritage ensures it is an excellent location for fun environmental awareness and education programmes. The Tapada is also open for walking, mountain biking, horse riding, archery and crossbow shooting activities.
On 7 July 2019, the Royal Building of Mafra – Palace, Basilica, Convent, Cerco Garden and Hunting Park (Tapada) was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With an area of 1187 hectares, surrounded by a 21 km long wall, the Tapada de Mafra has a great diversity of animal and plant species and is an area with regulated (paid) access. The area has been divided into three since 1828, with the first 360 hectares under military administration.
“Tapada Nacional de Mafra” enters the record as park in Mafra, Portugal. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Tapada, Nacional and Mafra can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Tapada Nacional de Mafra” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Tapada, Nacional and Mafra provides the most credible route into that argument.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 20, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7684407. VIAF identifies the subject as 309918328. Authority coordinates are 38.964, -9.303. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2019, 1187 and 1828.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Tapada Nacional de Mafra”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Tapada Nacional de Mafra primary sources, Tapada Nacional de Mafra archive and Tapada research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Tapada Nacional de Mafra”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Tapada Nacional de Mafra” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.