The austerity of the largest palace-monastery on the Iberian Peninsula is barely softened by its Baroque decor and an abundance of marble. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2019. Serving both a palatial and religious function, it was designed by Italian and Portuguese architects and the different European influences can be felt. Financed by gold taken from Brazil, Mafra is the stone incarnation of the dream of greatness of João V "the Magnanimous", the "Portuguese Sun King".