PORTUGAL – MINHO – COSTA VERDE – NEIVA – VIANA DO CASTELO
Accommodation at Quinta do Monteverde.
Quinta do Monteverde Viana do Castelo near Neiva beach in north Portugal – One of the Manor Houses of Portugal with guest accommodation
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A recently restored Manor House which has been owned by the same family since the 15th Century. It is situated in a small walled estate 1 km from the long sandy beaches south of Viana do Castelo. In 1790 an Italian, Luiz Vital Monteverde, came from his home town of Genoa to attend the wedding of King Joao VI of Portugal. He remained in Portugal and married the owner of the house, Donna Teresa de Jesus da Cunha Lobo Barbosa Sottomaior and the farm came to be known by its much smaller name of Quinta do Monteverde. However it still remains the custom in Portugal to keep all the family names of parents and grandparents which results in long names with signatures being written in full. The gardens within the grounds of the walled estate have been redesigned recently. A swimming pool, barbecue area and tennis court have been added to the traditional lawns and fruit orchards. The property is on the lane leading down to the fishing hamlet of Castelo do Neiva which is about 2 kilometres away. A large restaurant stands at the end of the lane specializing in the fish caught by local fishermen. The long unspoilt sandy beach runs for miles in each direction and is backed by sand dunes. A previous owner donated part of his garden so that a church, to serve the local small community, could be built. Near the church there is another good restaurant. The furniture and ornaments of the 16th and 18th centuries have been kept in the main house. Among the family portraits on the walls are old family trees of the family. In the main house there are two guest bedrooms in the towers and a ground floor suite, all having en-suite bathrooms. Within the house are sitting rooms for the guests and there is satellite television. All guests can have breakfast in the main house which is served outdoors in summer. The breakfast room also has sofas, television, etc. One room has a pool table. The reading room has a games table and an interesting collection of antique weapons. The garden contains a large swimming pool with changing rooms, a tennis court and a lawned area for playing games. Bicycles can be rented by guests to explore the small lanes and to go down to the beach. The house has easy motor way access from Porto International airport, the beautiful Minho region of Portugal and the Galicia region of Spain. For golfing parties there are courses at Quinta da Barca and Estela and Ponte de Lima all within easy reach by car. A journalist, Carla Harvey, writing for the American golfing site TravelGolf.com stayed at the house and wrote the following : “A manor house whose location is inimitable, Quinta do Monteverde lies one kilometre from the sea. The beach rolls on and on; sand dunes and unspoilt stretches lending a wonderful sense of isolation to the surroundings. Golfers who are keen beachcombers will enjoy this as much as the game. Quinta de Monteverde was constructed in the 16th century. It has been completely renovated during the past three years, although care has been taken to protect architectural features of importance. Within the walled estate are the main house and three workers’ cottages that have been re-built in order to provide additional one- bedroom accommodation. These cottages are supplied with microwave and electric kettle; guests are served breakfast in an adjacent small building. There is a large living room area with a fireplace for communal use. Three double bedrooms and a suite are located in the central house. Sitting rooms and a satellite TV are provided for indoor relaxation, while the swimming pool, tennis courts and bicycles are available for outdoor activities.” |
