Category: Culture and Entertainment > Casino
District: Viana do Castelo > Viana do Castelo > Afife > Cabedelo
The Afife Casino is strategically positioned in the locality of Afife, integrated into the municipality of Viana do Castelo, in the homonymous district. More specifically, it is located in the Cabedelo area, a region recognized for its natural coastal environment. Its location allows it to enjoy the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean, which shapes the landscape with its extensive beaches and characteristic dune cord. This positioning gives the place a unique atmosphere, which oscillates between the serenity of the coast and the dynamism that once marked its purpose.
The presence of the building in Cabedelo, an area of great natural beauty, places it in a landscape context where the sea and sand are dominant elements, offering views over the Atlantic vastness and the sea breeze that defines this portion of the Minho coast.
The Afife Casino represents a vestige of an era when the locality of Afife asserted itself as a prime destination for leisure and social gatherings. Built with the purpose of being a space for entertainment and culture, the building was, during its heyday, a meeting point and hub for sociability. Its existence reflects the development of beach tourism and social life in the region, serving as a stage for various activities that enlivened the community and vacationers.
This place testifies to the ambition of creating a pole of attraction on the northern Portuguese coast, a space where fun and culture intertwined, marking the collective memory of Afife as a place of dynamism and modernity for its time. It therefore represents a heritage of symbolic value for understanding the social history and leisure on the Minho coast.
The architecture of the Afife Casino, although subject to time and transformations, reveals typical features of buildings intended for social and entertainment functions of its period. The structure is designed to accommodate a large public, suggesting ample interior spaces that once reverberated with the music, conversation, and laughter of its visitors. The building's facade presents elements that, together, contribute to its identity and to the atmosphere it creates in Cabedelo.
The scale and design of the building integrate it into the landscape in a distinct way, with its presence evoking the charm and elegance associated with social gathering places of the early 20th century. Its strategic positioning aims to maximize interaction with the surrounding natural environment, namely the light and the sea view, which were crucial elements for the experience of its visitors.
The intimate relationship of the Afife Casino with the coastal landscape is one of its most striking aspects. The building is not just an architectural landmark, but also an element that dialogues with the wild nature of Afife's coast. The proximity of the dunes and the beach, characteristic elements of Cabedelo, gives it a unique atmosphere, where the sound of the waves and the smell of the sea mix with the history that the building carries.
Its implantation in this natural setting highlights the appreciation of the coastline as a space for leisure and well-being. The construction of the Afife Casino in this specific location emphasizes the beauty of the coastal landscape and its importance as a backdrop for the social and cultural life of the time, inviting contemplation of the environment that surrounds it.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 41.7755984,-8.860595
Coordinates DMS: 41°46'32.2"N 08°51'38.1"W