About Quinta da Regaleira
The property that Laem Chabang showed Key West is based on a real place in Sintra, Portugal called Quinta da Regaleira-- a property that consists of a palace, chapels, gardens, caves, grottos, and various structures. Although the manga states its a British Neo-Classical design, the actual location is Romantic and inspired heavily by Roman, Gothic styles influenced by Portuguese culture. It is not for sale since it is a World Heritage Site but it had several owners prior to it becoming a Monument of Public Interest of Portugal. Sintra itself is believed to be a mystical place that some say hold hidden, mystical powers.
(Side note regarding the hazard map comment: Sintra, Portugal is considered a hazard zone due to wildfires; attractions often close down when risks become very high.)
What makes this place unique is one of its famous owners. In 1892, it was sold to Carvalho Monteiro, a Brazilian-Portuguese millionaire who's known for being interested in natural scenery, religion, and academics. Much of the appearance of Quinta da Regaleira was designed by him and his architect Luigi Manini, and incorporated a lot of Carvalho Monteiro's ideologies and beliefs. These beliefs came from movements and organizations such as the Free Masons, the Knights Templar, and more.
If you were to explore Quinta da Regaleira, you will not only experience seeing the various plants and forestry of the property but also seeing lots of symbols related to paganism and Christianity. The concept of Quinta da Regaleira's design is that one is going through the process of spiritual enlightenment as one goes further up into the property. The journey itself is to represent one becoming closer to God based on the views of the Templar Masons, which was something Carvalho Monteiro seemed to at least be very interested in as a result of his desires to learn about nature and religion. In fact, it was rumored that initiation rituals to the Templar Masons were done in the past at Quinta da Regaleira and that is why the property looks the way it is; some claim Carvalho Monteiro is just an eccentric rich guy who wanted to design the property based on his special interests and no initiation ritual was ever performed. Interestingly, Quinta da Regaleira's most famous attraction is known as "The Initiation Well", an inverted tower allegedly used for actual initiation ceremonies to the Templar Masons of that area and ultimately lead to a Templar chapel where the initiated would complete their ceremony. There are other interesting things about the well too, but I don't want to yap much further to make this post too long.
In short, visiting and exploring Quinta da Regaleira is meant to give you an experience that symbolizes one's journey to achieve an ultimate spiritual connection to God. You can even say it even represents man's journey to achieve heaven...
I'm not sure if Araki intentionally chose that property because of what it represents or he only wanted to choose a known property that has an ancient European castle vibe to it. Religious imagery aside, it is a very beautiful place full of rich history and art nonetheless. I think there is a lot more information about this property and the beliefs and organizations associated with it, but this is just what I can find and summarize so far. Let me know what you think!
Posted Sep 22, 2025, 12:15 AM UTC