Travel Inspiration: Initiation Well of Quinta da Regaleira, Sintra, Portugal

Initiation Well of Quinta da Regaleira, Sintra, Portugal | This trench dug deep into the ground resembles an inverted tower with its intricate architecture built downward into the surroundings. It begs the question as you walk the winding staircase, are you journeying to the center of the earth or climbing upwards towards daybreak? The illusion is meant to represent a basic element of life, the inevitable return to the ground where all things emerge and at some point must return. Nine platforms separate the sections of the well symbolizing the nine circles of Hell, the nine terraces of Purgatory and the nine spheres of Paradise in the Divine Comedy by Dante.