The Initiation Well At Quinta Da Regaleira In Sinta, Portugal Royalty-Free Stock Photo

The Initiation Well is thean entrance to the underground labyrinth. It is connected to other entrances via a series of underground walkways. The Initiation Well has a striking spiral staircase supported by carved columns, that lead down to the bottom of the well through its nine landings. It is believed that the spacing of these landings, as well as the number of steps in between, are linked to Tarot mysticism and Masonic principles. The owner of Quinta da Regaleira, the wealthy Portuguese businessman Antonio Augusto Carvalho Monteiro, was a well-known Freemason. With the assistance of the Italian architect Luigi Manini, he designed and constructed the four-hectare property with enigmatic buildings, mysterious parks, and underground tunnels.All of the structures erected in Quinta da Regaleira are filled with many symbols, which are linked to masonry, alchemy, the Rosicrucian and Hermetic legacy, the Knights Templar and Tarot mysticism.