Radium Waters Hotel

Category: Civil Architecture > Hotel

District: Guarda > Sabugal > Sortelha > Águas de Radium

Location

The Hotel Águas de Radium is located in the Águas de Radium area, belonging to the locality of Sortelha, in the municipality of Sabugal. This complex of buildings is situated in an isolated manner, in a rural environment, built on a rocky massif halfway up the Serra da Pena mountain range. This position offers a vast and wide visibility over the surrounding landscape, providing a distinct scenic setting.

Architecture and Memory

Dating from the early 20th century, the Hotel Águas de Radium represents a remarkable example of the revivalist architecture of the period, designed for health tourism. The complex was conceived as a thermal hotel with a capacity for ninety rooms, integrating with the landscape through the predominant use of granite in its structure. Currently, the building is in ruins, but its presence keeps alive the memory of a period when the pursuit of health through thermal waters dictated the creation of imposing structures.

The Peculiarity of the Waters and Their History

The name "Radium" was not chosen by chance. Its origin dates back to the early 20th century, when uranium mining began in the nearby area of Quarta-feira. Ore extracted from here was even sent to laboratories in Paris, where the renowned Madame Curie worked, a fact that influenced the designation of the site. The mineral waters that sprang here, and which shaped the thermal resort, came to be considered "Miraculous", particularly those from the Chão de Pena spring. During the period of greatest activity, these thermal baths offered innovative treatments for the time, such as the application of radioactive mud and compresses, attracting users in search of their benefits.

Legend and Legacy

The construction of this thermal hotel is shrouded in a local legend that adds a symbolic touch to its history. It is said that a Spanish count, named Dom Rodrigo, ordered the construction of the hotel after his daughter, who suffered from a severe skin disease, was cured thanks to the properties of the mineral waters of Chão de Pena. Over the decades, the site witnessed various phases of exploitation and abandonment, with activity being suspended in the middle of the last century and the hotel definitively closing in 1961. Despite its current state of ruin, there have been projects for its reconstruction and transformation into a luxury complex, which demonstrates the continuous recognition of its historical value and potential, maintaining it as a singular landmark in the landscape.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt