Category: Civil Architecture > Manor House / Stately Mansion
District: Porto > Porto > Porto > Campo Alegre
Casa Burmester is located in the city of Porto, within the urban area of Campo Alegre. This manor house, with its imposing architecture, stands out for its isolation, protected by tall granite walls that delimit the property, giving it a unique presence in the city's landscape. The main access, facing Rua do Campo Alegre, invites discovery of its distinctive elements.
Dating from the late 19th century, this historic building was erected in 1897 at the request of Gustavo Burmester, a prominent Porto merchant with ties to a renowned family in the city. Originally conceived as a private residence, the manor house reflects the opulence and taste of Porto's elite of that era. Its construction was overseen by engineer José Estevão Parada e Silva Leitão and master builder Manuel Francisco Ferreira, important figures in the local architectural scene.
Casa Burmester is a notable example of 19th-century Porto architecture, influenced by the French Beaux-Arts school. Its structure is marked by a play of volumes, with various bodies arranged in a staggered manner, creating a dynamic composition. The elevations reveal careful granite work, present in the base and in the friezes that separate the floors. The windows, with flattened arches and sometimes twinned, are enriched by granite frames and elegant cast-iron sills. One of the most distinctive elements is the main gate, which displays an inverted pediment decorated with a rose, a symbol that evokes the German heraldry of the Burmester family.
Surrounding the building, there is a courtyard that once housed a romantic garden, characterized by curvilinear flowerbeds and dense vegetation. Although transformed over time, traces of this original concept can still be observed. In the center of this outdoor space, an octagonal fountain stands out, adorned with decorative elements such as gargoyles and fish figures, which add a scenic and artistic touch to the environment.
After serving as a residence and, later, hosting the Faculty of Arts of the University of Porto, Casa Burmester now plays a fundamental role as the Center for the Study of Culture in Portugal, known as "Casa dos Livros" (House of Books). This reconversion maintained the building's beauty and heritage value intact, underlining its cultural importance. The recent requalification intervention, authored by architects Alexandre Alves Costa and Sérgio Fernandez, has allowed this historic space to continue to be a vibrant point of reference for culture and knowledge in the city of Porto.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 41.153115819048, -8.6410739380952
Coordinates DMS: 41°09'11.2"N 08°38'27.9"W
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