Solar of the Quinta de Nossa Senhora da Conceição (including barn, dovecote, well and garden)

Category: Civil Architecture > Farm

District: Setúbal > Almada > Trafaria

Location:

The Solar da Quinta de Nossa Senhora da Conceição is located in the parish of Trafaria, southwest of Murfacém, in the municipality of Almada. Set in a rural area marked by its proximity to the Tagus estuary, it benefits from a gentle landscape where cultivated fields and small wooded areas alternate.

The property covers approximately 60 hectares, extending over flat land that discreetly follows the waterline. The main access opens onto a road connecting Trafaria to the inland area of the south bank, surrounded by white walls with yellow friezes and patches of Mediterranean vegetation.

Historical and Architectural Value

The estate's origins date back to the 16th century, built as one of the typical agricultural properties on the south bank of the Tagus. The chapel, dating from 1550, displays traces of the Manueline style, notably in its stone finishings and pointed arch doorway, and remains in an excellent state of preservation.

In 1870, José Ferreira Pinto Basto acquired the estate, and his family proceeded to convert farm structures into dwellings, preserving the original features. The granary and the dovecote are examples of these transformations, where the care taken to maintain simple façades with regular openings and traditional mortar coatings is evident.

Exterior Spaces and Traditional Elements

The garden, organized in irregular plots, is located next to the main house, featuring paths bordered by low hedges and large trees, such as the cypresses that frame the area. Also of note is the nora (an old water-drawing wheel), which remains as a testament to the irrigation methods used at the time.

Nearby, the dovecote's nesting boxes are arranged in rows, recreating a rural landscape that transports the visitor to the agricultural practices of the past. The contrasts between the white masonry, the yellow friezes, and the vegetation give the place a serene and genuine character.

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