Solar do AposentoAposento Manor

Category: Civil Architecture > Museum

District: Madeira > São Vicente > Lombada > Espigão

Location

The Solar do Aposento is located in the village of Lombada, in the municipality of São Vicente. Rising in a prominent area, locally known as "Espigão" (Spike/Ridge), its position offers a privileged perspective over the surroundings, with sweeping views of the sea and the majestic mountains. Formerly adjacent to a royal road, the manor asserted itself as an imposing landmark in a predominantly agricultural environment, distinguishing itself by its unique presence.

A Residence with History

Dating back to the mid-18th century, with an inscription from 1746 attesting to its antiquity, Solar do Aposento represents a notable example of wealthy Madeiran houses. Its architecture reflects the island's tradition, with a rectangular main body and an imposing central tower, whose windows open strategically to the sea and the mountains. Rectangular openings framed by robust dark stone masonry, and the original hip roofs with clay tiles and double eaves, characteristic of the period, stand out.

Formerly a significant agricultural property, the manor was complemented by several dependencies essential to rural life. The ground floor housed wine cellars and a wine press, while in the vicinity, a water mill and other constructions that once served as stables and homes for tenant farmers can still be observed. The courtyard, which in the past was paved with stones and flagstones to facilitate access to the wine cellars, was shaded by a vast vine trellis, a central element in the property's landscape.

The Legacy of an Era

The history of Solar do Aposento culminated in a remarkable donation to the Autonomous Region of Madeira by its last owner, D. Maria Hilária Diniz Abreu de Freitas. Her vision allowed the house and its contents to become a cultural space, inviting visitors to delve into the traditions and way of life of the island's north. This legacy allows visitors to appreciate a collection of pieces that, for the most part, were acquired in the regional antique market or resulted from family inheritance, revealing the taste and customs of several generations.

The Essence of a Madeiran Home

Inside Solar do Aposento, visitors find a collection that evokes the daily life of a wealthy Madeiran home from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Among the furniture, 19th-century Madeiran pieces made from local woods such as vinhático, til, and chestnut, with influences from English models, predominate. The collection also includes English and Portuguese furniture from the late 18th and 19th centuries, as well as household objects characteristic of kitchens, bedrooms, and dining rooms of the period, with a highlight on stamped English faience.

The living area, accessed by staircases that reveal details such as a molded oculus, preserves original elements, such as the large chestnut plank flooring and the coffered ceilings in one of the most noble rooms. In the kitchen, a rare double oven, set on stone flagging, testifies to the culinary practices of other times. The artistic ensemble includes sculptures such as a Saint Anthony and a Our Lady of Piety, both from the 17th century and from regional workshops, as well as paintings and antique mirrors that enrich the ambiance and invite detailed observation.

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