Some damage was experienced to the buildings as a result of the earthquake in 1755. In 1902 the property was sold to the Count of Cartaxo. His grandson undertook restoration work in the 1960s. From 1987 to 2002 Quinta da Ribafria was home to the Friedrich Naumann Foundation. During this time work was undertaken to improve the garden and add office space in the garden, with the work being supervised by two well-known Portuguese architects, Francisco Caldeira Cabral and Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles. The estate was acquired by Sintra Municipality in 2003. After several years of neglect it was taken over by the Cultursintra Foundation (Fundação Cultursintra) and is now used for the display of sculptures and for open-air performances in the summer. The gardens can be visited daily but the house is closed to visitors without a special request.