House where Abbot Baçal lived.

Category: Civil Architecture > House

District: Vila Real > Chaves > Mairos

Location:

Located in Mairos, in the municipality of Chaves, this house stands on the corner of Rua do Abade Baçal and Rua de Camões, in a typically urban area with surrounding dwellings that maintain the village's historic layout.

The property is set back slightly from the road, creating a small granite patio that establishes an intimate dialogue between the street and the access to the upper floor, provided by an attached staircase.

Historical Value:

Between 1889 and 1896, this was the home of Francisco Manuel Alves, better known as the Abbot of Baçal, a priest and local researcher dedicated to the region's history and archaeology. He settled in this house after his ordination, marking the beginning of a path that would lead him, in 1925, to the directorship of the Regional Museum of Bragança.

The mere mention of this period of occupancy lends the building cultural significance, as it was here that the personal and academic roots of a key figure in the heritage of Trás-os-Montes were forged.

Architectural Features:

Built in the 19th century, the house has an elongated floor plan, two stories, and a three-sloped roof, all constructed from exposed granite masonry. The windows and doors are of modest dimensions, reinforcing the vernacular character and the rigor of the façade's composition.

The use of local materials (from the granite walls to the schist on the eaves and the wooden flooring inside) reveals a construction adapted to the region's resources, lending durability and sobriety to the structure.

Unique Features:

On the two upper corners, near the eaves, two sculptures stand out, depicting a fox and a wolf. They serve as the house's identifying marks and bring an unexpected touch to the building's overall simplicity.

These figures, resembling gargoyles, not only decorate the property but also suggest a symbolic connection to local folklore, inviting visitors to discover details that blend folk art with traditional architecture.

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