Poço Iniciàtico (Initiatic Well)
Quinta da Regaleira, Rua Barbosa du Bocage, Sintra, Portugal
Designer: Italian Architect Luigi Pietro Manini
Constructed by António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro
Date of construction: 1904 – 1911
Depth: 88 feet (27 meters)
The Initiation Well at the Quinta da Regaleira was designed under the direction of Carvalho Monteiro, a wealthy Brazilian-Portuguese businessman and alleged Freemason, who purchased the property in 1892.
“The Quinta da Regaleira Initiation Well was allegedly constructed for clandestine ritualistic purposes and there are various theories regarding its use. Many believe it was used as the location of the Templar Knight initiation ceremonies. They would descend the spiral staircase, and emerge into a pitch-black labyrinth where they would literally and figuratively navigate their way up to the light. Some believe that there is a connection between Tarot mysticism and the distance between these landings and the number of stairs, and theorize that it could have been used for Tarot initiation rites. Other allusions refer to rites in Freemasonry or Rosicrucianism.“
Tacky Raccoons 