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King Ferdinand II and the Countess of Edla, c. 1882. Elise, Countess of Edla (born Elise Friederike Hensler; 22 May 1836 – 21 May 1929) was a Swiss-born American soprano, and the morganatic second wife of the former King Ferdinand II of Portugal.
The Chalet was built between 1864 and 1869 for King Fernando II (1816–85), King-Consort to Queen Maria II until her death in 1853, and his future second wife, Elise, Countess of Edla (1836–1929), who was a Swiss-born, American-naturalized opera singer.
Elise Friederike Hensler, a fervent admirer of the arts and letters, was an opera singer who won the heart of Ferdinand II after he lost his first wife, Queen Maria II.
In 1869, with King Luís I already on the throne, Ferdinand II and Elise married, united by their love for arts and culture. The ceremony took place after Ferdinand had requested his cousin, Duke Ernest II of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, bestow a title on his future wife: the Countess of Edla.
Chalet and Garden of the Countess of Edla. This Alpine style building, perfectly integrated into the surrounding nature, was built by Ferdinand II and his second wife, Elise Hensler, the Countess of Edla, between 1864 and 1869.
Influenced by the romantic spirit of the time, King Fernando and Elise Hensler, the future Countess of Edla, designed one of the most idyllic and picturesque areas within what is considered the largest and most emblematic Romantic park ever created in Portugal.
The Chalet was built by King Ferdinand II and his second wife Elise Hensler, Countess of Edla, between 1864 and 1869, in keeping with the Alpine chalet model that was in vogue in Europe at that time.
