MAFRA, a town of Portugal, in the province of Estremadura and district of Lisbon, lies near the Atlantic coast, about 20 miles to the north-west of Lisbon, and had a population in 1878 of 3231. It is remarkable for its cloister-palace, built by John V. in 1717-32, in consequence of a vow made during a dangerous illness to build a convent for the poorest friary of the kingdom,—which proved to be a small Franciscan settlement here. The architect, Ludovici, took the Escorial for his model; but the imitation is still less successful than the original. The building, which is in the form of a parallelogram measuring upwards of 800 feet from north to south and 700 feet from east to west, is said to contain 866 rooms, and to be lighted by no fewer than 5200 windows. The centre is occupied by the domed church, sumptuously built - of marble, and richly adorned with statues and other objects of art. The conventual buildings (which are no longer used as such) contain 300 cells; and the library numbers 30,000 volumes. Adjoining the palace are fine gardens and pleasure grounds.