General Assembly of the
European Historic Houses Association
2nd to 5th October 2014
Lisbon, Portugal
In collaboration with
Associação Portuguesa das Casas Antigas
NOTES
GENERAL AGENDA
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2nd 2014
14:00 Arrival of the participants at the TIVOLI JARDIM Hotel
19:00 Rua Júlio César Machado nº7, 1250-135 Lisboa
16:30 Executive Committee Meeting –TIVOLI LISBOA Hotel/meeting room
19:30 Av. da Liberdade, 185, 1269-050 Lisboa
(Executive Committee Members only)
20:00 Informal dinner at the Restaurant “A Floresta do Salitre”, Rua do Salitre, 42,
Lisbon (Optional)
GENERAL AGENDA
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3rd 2014
8:00 Breakfast
9:15 Meeting in the hotel Tivoli Jardim lobby at 9:15
9:30 Departure for Palácio Porto Côvo, Rua de São Domingos, Lapa 35-39, Lisbon
(For Governors only)
(For others, please check the Partners’ Program)
10:00 Governor’s General Assembly- Palácio Porto Côvo
13:00
13:00 Governor’s and Partners’ Lunch- Palácio Porto Côvo
14:30
14:45 CONFERENCE:
17:30
“Heritage, use it or lose it! The cultural importance of heritage preservation, civic
pride and quality of life”
18:30 OPTIONAL
Helena Vaz da Silva European Award for raising public awareness on Europe’s
Cultural Heritage in collaboration with Centro Nacional de Cultura and Europa
Nostra
18:30 Back at Tivoli Jardim Hotel & Free time
19:15
19:30 Meeting in the hotel lobby at 19:15
Departure for Palácio dos Marqueses de Fronteira, Largo de São Domingos de
Benfica, 1
20:30 Gala dinner at Palácio dos Marqueses de Fronteira- dress code: Dark suit
23:00 Return to the Hotel Tivoli Jardim
GENERAL AGENDA
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4th 2014
7:30 Breakfast
8:15 (Meeting in the Hotel Tivoli Jardim Lobby at 8:15)
For those in Hotels Tivoli Lisboa and Browns, please join us in the hotel lobby
8:30 Departure for 1st visit
9:15 1st visit : Quinta do Convento do Carmo (Sintra)
10:45
11:15
12:15
12:45
15:00
16:00
17:30
2nd visit : Quinta da Penha Verde (Sintra)
Lunch at Quinta do Bomjardim, Belas
3rd visit: Palácio Belmonte, hosted by M. Frederic COUSTOLS, owner
(Alfama, Lisbon)
followed by a Port Wine tasting by Taylor’s Port at the palace’s terrace
18:00 Back at Tivoli Jardim Hotel & Free time
19:20
19.30 Departure from the hotel for the Palácio dos Marqueses de Sabugosa
20:00 Dinner at Palácio dos Marqueses de Sabugosa, hosted by Count and Countess of SÃO
LOURENÇO (Santo Amaro, Alcântara, Lisbon)
23:00 Return to the Hotel Tivoli Jardim
GENERAL AGENDA
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5th 2014
7:00 Breakfast
7:45 Meeting in the hotel Lobby
(BRING YOUR LUGGAGES WITH YOU IF YOU ARE TRAVELLING AFTER THE VISIT)
8:00 Departure for Setúbal
9:00 Visit to “Forte de São Filipe”
10:00 Visit to "Convento de Jesus"
11:30 Guided Walk in the historic center of Setúbal
13:00 Lunch hosted by the mayor of Setúbal Maria das DORES MEIRA
14:30
14:30
Departure for Lisbon Airport
Option 1: Departure for Lisbon Airport (pre-notification required)
Option 2 : Return to Lisbon centre by coach (pre-notification required)
PARTNERS’ PROGRAM
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3rd 2014
8:00
8:45
Breakfast
9:00
Departure Fondation Ricardo Espírito Santo Silva, Lg. das Portas do Sol, 2, Lisbon
(Meeting in the Hotel Lobby at 8:45)
12:30
Departure for Palácio Porto Côvo
13:00
14: 30
Governor’s and Partners’ Lunch in Palácio Porto Côvo
14:45
17:30
CONFERENCE:
18:30
OPTIONAL
Helena Vaz da Silva European Award for raising public awareness on Europe’s Cultural
Heritage in collaboration with Centro Nacional de Cultura and Europa Nostra
« Heritage, use it or lose it! The cultural importance of heritage
preservation, civic pride and quality of life”
CONFERENCE
Heritage, use it or lose it!
The cultural importance of heritage preservation, civic
pride and quality of life
3rd of October 2014
Palácio Porto Côvo, Lisbon
The Conference will tackle the importance of the cultural
heritage in the wealth and quality of life of the EU citizens.
Portugal as one of the most touristic places in the EU will help us
to understand the relation between heritage, economy and social
value of a country.
Private build patrimony can contribute to large extend to reaffirm
national identity and civic pride.
How to stimulate interest/investment in heritage preservation?
CONFERENCE AGENDA
14:45-15:15pm Opening addresses
• Rodolphe de LOOZ-CORSWAREM, President of the European Historic Houses Association
• Hugo O’NEILL, President of Associação Portuguesa das Casas Antigas
• Pedro LÍBANO MONTEIRO, Member of the board of Directors at Lusitania Seguros, Insurance
company, owner of Porto Covo Palace
15:15-15.35pm Keynote
• Jorge BARRETO XAVIER, Secretary of State for Culture, Portuguese Government
Moderator - Sneška QUAEDVLIEG-MIHAILOVIC, Secretary General of Europa Nostra
15.35-17.00pm Round table discussions
• António LOBO XAVIER – Lawyer
• D. Fernando MASCARENHAS, Marquis of Fronteira – President of “Fundação das Casas de
•
•
•
•
Fronteira e Alorna”
Guilherme d’OLIVEIRA MARTINS, Chairman of the board of Centro Nacional de Cultura
João CANTIGA ESTEVES, Professor, specialist in Economic and Financial affairs
Adolfo MESQUITA NUNES, Tourism Secretary of State
Teresa NUNES DA PONTE – Architect
17.15- 17.30pm Conclusion
•
Rodolphe de LOOZ-CORSWAREM, President of the European Historic Houses Association
SPEAKERS
RODOLPHE DE LOOZ-CORSWAREM
Born in Belgium in 1944, Count Rodolphe de LOOZ-CORSWAREM grew
up in a historic house before going to Cambridge and then the HEC
Business School. He has 24 years of experience as Chief Executive
Officer or Director General, starting from a family SME, up to leading
multinational groups’ subsidiaries. After holding several high-level
functions all over the world, he became Director General of The Brewers of
Europe Confederation in Brussels. He is now the Executive President of
the European Historic Houses Association.
HUGO O’NEILL
Hugo O’NEILL, is the Chairman of the Board of Associação Portuguesa das
Casas Antigas and a Governor of the European Historic Houses Association.
Born in 1939, studied at the Instituto Superior Tecnico and the Faculty of
Science in Porto, took an MBA at AESE (1980) and holds a MA hon causa by
the National University of Ireland, Galway (2004). He has held many
executive positions in industry and Finance. He is presently a member of the
UK Society of Investment Professionals and a certified independent financial
advisor. He is presently involved in promoting the cultural and economic
recovery of Setubal. In 1984, The O’Neill succeeded his late Father as the
54th Chief of the Name and was a founding member and Chairman (2002 2005) of the Standing Council of Irish Chiefs and Chieftains.
PEDRO LÍBANO MONTEIRO
Pedro LIBANO MONTEIRO is currently a Board Member at Lusitania Insurance
Company and Montepio Holding. When finishing his undergraduate degree in
Business Administration from Universidade Católica in Lisbon, Pedro became a
farmer in Serpa- southern Portugal. After four and a half years as a
entrepreneur, Pedro pursued an MBA in the US and shifted from farming to
financial services consulting. Before joining Lusitania in 2013, Pedro worked
several years in Montepio Bank. Besides accompanying the overall strategy of
the bank, he was also responsible for the development and implementation of
strategic projects that are transversal to the institution. Presently, Pedro is the
proud father of four children and continues to farm!
SNESKA QUAEDVLIEG-MIHAILOVICH
MODERATOR
Sneska QUAEDVLIEG-MIHAILOVIC was born in 1963 in Belgrade (former
Yugoslavia) where she obtained a degree in International Law. After having
obtained a post-graduate degree in European Law and Politics at Nancy
(France), she worked for the European Institutions. She was one of the
founders, and the first Secretary-General of the European Movement in
Yugoslavia. In October 2000, she was appointed as Secretary General of
Europa Nostra and has contributed to many European and international
committees and networks covering the wider fields of heritage and is a cofounder of the European Heritage Alliance 3.3. She works in close cooperation
with global and European institutions and has written many articles and books
on Europe and cultural heritage.
JORGE BARRETO XAVIER
KEYNOTE
Secretary of State for Culture, Portuguese
Government
Jorge BARRETO XAVIER was born in Goa, India, in 1965. In 1986, while studying
Law in Lisbon, he founded the Portuguese Club of Arts and Ideas, which became
the largest Portuguese non- profit supporting young artists, spawning numerous
programs. After designing and delivering national art programs and cultural centers,
he was elected to the post of Deputy Mayor of Oeiras and coordinated the
government’s working group on education and Culture.
In 2008, after coordinating the Rehabilitation through Art project of the Calouste
Gulbenkain Foundation, he became Director-General of the Arts at the Ministry of
Culture. In 2011 he became guest professor at ISCTE-Lisbon University Institute,
teaching Public Policy for Culture and Creative Industries Management.
In October 2012 he became the Secretary of State for Culture of the Portuguese
Government.
ANTÓNIO LOBO XAVIER
António LOBO XAVIER graduated in Law in 1982 and obtained a Masters in
Legal and Economic Sciences in 1988, and began his career as an assistant at
the Faculty of Law. Since then he is dedicated to advocacy. He was a member
of the Superior Council of the Administrative and Fiscal Courts and contributor
to the Tax Reform in 1988. In the business area, he is senior manager at
Sonaecom and on the Board of Directors of Mota-Engil. He is a member of the
board in several institutions, including FC Porto, Ceramics Valadares, MotaEngil, as well as the Serralves Foundation and the Foundation Belmiro de
Azevedo. He was deputy of the Portuguese Parliament for the CDS, as well as
candidate for the leadershop and chairman of its parliamentary group between
1992 and 114. Since 2004 he is political commentator in the Quadratura do
Círculo in SIC Notícias. In 2012, he was awarded the rank of Grand Officer of
the Order of Infante D. Henrique.
D. FERNANDO MASCARENHAS
Fernando MASCARENHAS took an M.A. in Philosophy at the University of
Lisbon in 1976. From 1979 to 1988 he taught at Évora University. He created
the Fundação das Casas de Fronteira e Alorna in 1989 which obtained the
status of utilidade pública (public utility) in 1991. He presides the Board and is
responsible for the cultural program since the beginning. This program includes
particularly Literature (including many poetry recitals), History of Art, History and
also Architecture, Landscape Gardening, Heritage, Conservation and
Restoration. In 1994 he was awarded the Ordem da Liberdade for his role in the
elections of 1969. He is author of several papers on History, Art History and
Heritage.
GUILHERME D’OLIVEIRA MARTINS
Guilherme d’OLIVEIRA MARTINS was born in Lisbon in 1952. He is a Portuguese
lawyer and politician. He graduated with a law degree and master degree in
Juridical Economic Science and was an assistant professor at the Law Faculty,
and held several positions in government and academics. He was also a founder
of the Social Democratic Youth Party and a senior executive in that party,
eventually becoming an MP under the Socialist Party. After this, he became both
Minister of Education and Minister of Finance. He sits on the board of many
cultural and legal associations. He is also a visiting Professor at the Law Faculty of
the Lusíada University of Lisbon and of the Institute of Social and Political
Sciences of the Lisbon Technical University. On 5 March 1996, he was awarded
the Grand Officer Medal of the Order of D. Henrique Infant.
JOÃO CANTIGA ESTEVES
João CANTIGA ESTEVES is CEO of Ephi-ciência Financeira, a Financial
Consulting firm specialized in tailoring risk hedging and portfolio management
strategies. His academic background starts with a Degree in Economics by the
Oporto University in Portugal, as well as a graduate and MBA of Northeastern
University, Boston. After a start in development, his professional career included
several executive positions as Director and Board Member for various companies
within the banking industry, telecommunications, tourism, and agriculture and food
sectors. At the same time, since 1988 he pursues his academic career at ISEGSchool of Economics and Management of University of Lisbon by teaching and
being responsible for several courses in the Finance field. He is heavily involved in
the international regulation of investment and financial opportunities and analysis,
presenting results to the media as well as professional and academic institutions.
ADOLFO MESQUITA NUNES
Adolfo MESQUITA NUNES was born in 1977 and he holds a degree in law from
the Catholic University, practicing for 6 years, and a Master in Legal and Political
Sciences (2008) by University of Lisbon. He is a deputy in the XII Legislature,
elected by the Lisbon Constituency, he and integrates multiple Commissions on
Finance and Ethics. He is also a member of the Municipal Assembly of Lisbon,
and Executive Board Member of the CDS-PP, and Vice Chairman of the Political
Committee of Lisbon's region of CDS-PP. He was also Chief of Staff of the
Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning of the XVI Constitutional
Government. deputy secretary of State for Social Security XV Constitutional
Government, and advisor to Deputy Mayor of Lisbon.
TERESA NUNES DA PONTE
Teresa NUNES DA PONTE works as an architect since 1978 dedicating her
practice mainly to the restoration and rehabilitation of built heritage. Her work
includes refurbishment of museums, olive oil mils, the transformation of a
convent for tourism, the rehabilitation of Hotel Schools in Lisbon and Setubal
and the adaptation of a former palace into a hotel. She is co-author of the
Urban and Architectural Guide of Lisbon for the Portuguese College of
Architecture and has recently been awarded the 2013 Vilalva Award, for the
refurbishment project of the Caramulo Museum.
VISITS
CONVENTO DO CARMO
(Sintra)
SATURDAY 4TH OF OCTOBER
The first visit on the program will transport us to the magnificient city of
Sintra, located only 30km in the North-East of Lisbon. Surrounded by
mountains, lush vegetations and streams, as well as wondrous historic
monuments, Sintra has been named a UNESCO World Heritage site.
There, we will first have the pleasure of visiting Quinta do Convento do
Carmo, a former convent of the St-Anne's Carmelite Order. The building
was elevated in 1436 by Master Henriques, the private physician of King
Duarte, who received permission to build a Carmelite convent on the site.
The Convento of Santa Ana became as such the third convent of the
Carmelite order in Portugal. After its construction, the members of the
Order cleared the land, planted fruit trees, built stone walls and finally built
a small chapel for the invocation of St. Anne.
In the early 17th century, there were campaigns to improve the convent
resulting ultimately in the reconstruction of the monastery as it stands
today, though the church was consecrated in 1528. The presbytery and
large cloister date back to this period.
Quinta do Convento do Carmo has been a private property since 1834,
when the religious order was expelled by official decree and the building
was acquired by private owners, amongst which the Earl of Lavradio.
Interestingly, in 1840, he petitioned the Cardinal Patriarch for his
permission to remove the bodies buried in the Chapter House in order to
be able to transform it in a dining room. The bodies were removed five
years later, in 1845, and interred next to the Chapel Sacravia. Another
interesting fact is that of the stay of Alexandre Herculano de Carvalho e
Araújo (1810-1877), famous Portuguese writer, historian, poet and
journalist, who sejourned on the property during the 19th century. In
December 2003, after 8 years of negotiations, the place was purchased by
the current owner.
The building maintains the religious architecture from its previous
occupation as a convent, though we can also detect mannerist and
baroque styles. The property, classified in 2002, is also famous for its
Florentine gardens.
Manerist style: Artistic movement from 1520 to 1580 that emanated from
Italy. Mostly used to define a style in paintings, manerism can also be seen
in architecture, with examples such as the Villa Farnése in Caprarola or
many buildings in Antwerp. In many ways, mannerism foreshadowed the
trends from the baroque architecture.
QUINTA
DA PENHA VERDE
The next stop of the day will be at the Quinta da Penha Verde, also located
near Sintra. Historically, the main building of the Quinta was erected by D.
João de Castro following previous work done on the site by his father, D.
Alvaro de Castro, in 1534. In 1545, D. João de Castro was given the
government of India. There, he fought many battles with the indigenous
populations, and three years later, in 1548, was awarded by John III the
title of 4th viceroy of India, highest award given in recognition of his feats of
arms. He unfortunately died three weeks after learning the news and as
such, could not be interred, as he had requested in his testament, on the
property of the Quinta. Small pavilions can be found on the property,
decorated in seashells, statues and Sanskrit inscriptions, reminders from
his time in India.
Following owners have included António de Saldanha de Albuquerque
Castro e Ribafria, who inherited the Quinta when he was governor of
Angola. It was given to him in recognition for his services to his homeland.
His heart was placed inside the circular chapel of Nossa Senhora do
Monte in 1723. This chapel, built by the first owner, is one of many that can
be seen on the property. Indeed, we can also account for the chapels of
São Brás, Santa Catarina and São João Baptista. The chapel of São Brás,
dating back to the 17th century, is attached to the main building and its
altar is made of mulicolored marble, as is the altar in the chapel of São
João Baptista. The chapel of Santa Catarina, the matrone of the Castro
family, is also of circular shape with a simple décor and an altar in marble.
In 1869, the Quinta was mortgaged by Antonio Maria Saldanha
Albuquerque Ribafria Pereira de Castro, third Earl of Penamacor. In 1873,
the property was given to Francis Cook, Viscount Monserrate. The Quinta
da Penha Verde has changed hands several times since its construction
and was finally bought in 1980 by its current owners.
This impressive cultural monument has a sober interior decor, except for
the dinning hall which has impressive panneling on the celling and the
central painting with a coat of arms. The Quinta is renowned as well for its
garden in the style of the 18th century. The environment surrounding the
property is auspicious for pleasure and the simplicity of countryside life.
18th century-style gardens: or otherwise known as «English Gardens»,
they are organised along winding paths opening onto picturesque views. It
is opposed to the 17th century-style of «French Gardens» that were more
esthetic and spectacular and majestic. Some renowned English gardens
can be seen in Geneva (Switzerland), in Paris (France) and in Brussels
(Belgium).
QUINTA DO
BOMJARDIM
(Belas)
The third visit will bring us to the Quinta do Bomjardim, a
classified monument dating back to the 16th century. At
first a property of the Counts of Redondo, acquired in 1587,
it is a monument of Renaissance architecture, renowned
for its chapel, its location in beautiful Belas but also for its
majestic French gardens. Indeed, they start at the very
hedge of the house and move along the domain in sinuous
labyrinths and geometrically placed fountains and ponds.
To complement the gardens, the property also holds a
vast, lush forest comprised notably of pines, chestnut,
eucalyptus, cypress, magnolias, palms and pines. The
large courtyard entrance is preceded by a monumental
arch, giving the house a majestic feel.
Inside, a notable element of the decor is the azulejos
coatings in some of the rooms, dating back to the 16th
century and the late seventeenth century. Azulejos are sets
of decorated earthenware tiles, representing, in this case,
blue and white geometric patterns or figurative
representations. Some rooms in the Quinta also retain their
original wood ceiling, as such the Room of Panels, and
others, their stucco decoration, notably the dining room
where up to twenty people may be seated at the table.
An interesting element to be seen at the Quinta do
Bomjardim is the Last Supper made of polychrome faience
in the 18th century by Castro and Machado. The artwork
was exposed to the public during the 1998 World
Exposition, but is now back in its original place in the
chapel of the Quinta.
PALÁCIO
BELMONTE
Finally the last visit of the day will lead us to the Palacio
Belmonte which have been for the past 500 years the
House of the Earls of Belmonte, Cabral, Figueiredo,
Marquis Atalaia, Dom Fradique and Duke Loule.
The first section of the palace was built in 1449, atop
ancient Roman and Moorish fortifications. The Palace
has towers dating as far back as 138 BC, carved Visigoth
pillars and eighth-century Moorish brick ceilings. In 1503,
one of Portugal’s most famous adventurers – Pedro
Alvares Cabral, renowned for discovering Brazil, added
more space to the first existing house. In the years that
followed, the Castelo would play host to a steady stream
of famous historic figures – including Vasco da Gama. In
1640, the building was expanded to include a terrace
overlooking the Straw Sea and five fronts in the classical
style. Nearly one hundred years later, between 1720 and
1730, two great masters of Portuguese tiles, Manuel
Santos and Valentim de Almeida, were commissioned by
the family to create a unique collection of 59 panels, with
more than 3800 tiles that depict scenes of daily life and
the Portuguese royal court, throughout the Palace.
Part of the Palace was officially classified National
Monument 1910 and of National Interest in 1997.
In 1994, Palacio Belmonte became the house of Pierre
Frederic Coustols, a Landscape Collector, who was born
in 1944 in Gascony, France. He has been involved in
successful pan-European group Grand Optical, has
invested in an organic farm, near Blois in France, which
was, at the time, the largest producer of organic seeds in
Europe as well as in two small publishing companies. He
also purchased and restored a medieval Gascony
stronghold Castelnau des Fieumarcon in 1978.
PALÁCIO MARQUESES
DE SABUGOSA
The day will end with dinner at the magnificient Palácio dos marqueses de
Sabugosa, also known as the Palácio dos Condes de São Lourenço, or
even Palácio de Santo Amaro and Palácio de São Joaquim, each in
reference to one of the residents of the house.
Historically, the Palácio derives from Funchal’s first fortress that was only
built in the years 1529 to 1540 on a plea by the population of Funchal after
a boat, moored in the harbour of Funchal, had been pillaged. But the
construction completed until the second half of the 16th century was not
really appropriate for all fortification needs and consequently it succumbed
easily to the attacks of the French pirates in 1566. In the following years
until up to the 19th century, many improvements, alterations and extensions
to the original primitive construction were made, the first being at the behest
of the first Earl of Sabugosa, Vasco Fernandes Cesar de Menezes, so that
the Palácio de São Lourenço that has survived until today, remains one of
the best-preserved examples of Portuguese fortification from the 16th and
17th century.
In the beginning of its history the Fortaleza de São Lourenço served as
residence for many captains and governors of the island and then it became
gradually a national residential palace. It was classified National Monument
in August 1943, now serving as residence for the Prime Minister of the
Autonomous Region and the Military Command.
The administrative division of powers, civil and military, in 1836, provoked a
split in the physical occupation of the palace. The east area, before the
liability of the Military Governor, is under the supervision of the Command of
Military Zone of Madeira. The western area, corresponding to the key
dependencies and lofty halls, before close to the Governor, have been
linked since 1976 to the Minister of the Republic in Madeira and from 2004,
to the Representative of the Republic in the Autonomous Region of
Madeira, and his official residence. These rooms feature a decorative set,
consisting of decorative arts, both European and Portuguese, originally
either from the old Palace itself, or by transfers from the National Palace,
from the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A series of
French-style furniture "Boulle", coming from the Palácio Real da Ajuda, in
Lisbon are presented here.
Two notable features to be observed inside the house are the impressive
library and the chapel, which contains a sculpture of Christ from famed
Portuguese sculptor Joaquim Machado de Castro.
SUNDAY 5TH OF OCTOBER
Visit of the city SETÚBAL
The locality was first inhabited by the Phoenicians and Romans, who settled on the south bank of
the Sado River (opposite the present city) and named it Cetóbriga, which later derived to Setúbal.
The economy of the city has always been intricately linked to the sea. Indeed, in the early XXth
century, the city of Setúbal was renowned in Portugal for its fishing value, especially for sardines.
However, none of the many companies that once existed are active today. Nonetheless, tourism
soon revitalized the local economy thanks to the wondrous coast and beaches along the natural park
of Arrábida, also known as one of the most beautiful bays in the world.
A colony of dolphins can be observed in the Sado River, while on the opposite side is the Setúbal
peninsula of Troia. Setúbal is also the birthplace of the satirical poet Manuel Maria Barbosa du
Bocage and of the classical singer Luisa Todi.
CONVENTO DE JESUS
The Monastery of Jesus (Portuguese: Mosteiro de Jesus) is a
historical religious building in Setúbal, Portugal. It is one of the
first buildings in the Manueline style, the Portuguese version of
late Gothic. The cloister of the convent houses the museum of the
Monastery (Museum de Jesús).
The group of buildings, comprising a Church and a Convent with
associated cloisters, was designed and built by Master Diogo de
Boitaca in the late Gothic style on the site of a former monastery.
The architectural style became known later as Manuelin and this
complex was the first of many famous buildings in this typically
Portuguese style. It was mainly completed in 1494 and became
historically important as the place where the Treaty of Tordesillas
was formally ratified by King John II for Portugal in September
1494. The buildings were fully completed in 1496 in the reign of
King Manuel, hence the link to the Manuelin style.
The Convent continued as a nunnery until it was nationalised in
1834 and finally handed over to the Portuguese State in 1888 on
the death of the last sister. It was then passed to the Setúbal
Misericordia Brotherhood for use as a hospital until 1959. In 1961
it was converted to a religious museum and some reconstruction
work took place which eventually resulted in its closure in 1992 as
being considered structurally unsafe for public use.
The Church and Convent’s importance rests on its connection
with the Treaty of Tordesillas and its architectural heritage being
the precursor of the Manuelin style by a distinguished architect,
Master Boitaca. To underline its architectural significance it has
been classified as a National Monument as early as 1910 and in
2011 was awarded the European Heritage Label by the European
Parliament.
In 2013, the Monastery of Jesus was chosen among the 7 most
endangered sites, the Europa Nostra Programme with the support
of European Investment Bank Group, represented by the EIB
Institute.
FORTE DE SÃO FILIPE DE SETÚBAL
The project of a modern fortification to defend the Portuguese
coast dates back to the fourteenth century, with the construction
of Fort Santiago Outão, to control the river bar entrance and
access to the medieval village. Aiming to expand this defense,
in the reign of John III (1521-1557), Braz Dias received the
position of director of works of the Square and Castle of Setúbal
(July 31, 1526). Financial difficulties, which led to the
abandonment of overseas including positions in North Africa
have delayed the development of these works .
In the context of the restoration of independence, under the
reign of King John IV (1640-1656), the Governor of Setubal,
João Saldanha, performed the expansion of this defense by the
addition of a low battery, between 1649 and 1655.
In the mid-nineteenth century a fire destroyed the Command
House, residence of the then Governor of Weapons of Setúbal.
In the twentieth century, the fort became the subject of
conservation and restoration interventions by the Directorate
General for National Buildings and Monuments (DGEMN). The
fort suffered further damages caused by the earthquake of 1969
and the recovery was completed the following year.
Team contacts
European Historic Houses Association
Delphine Dupeux
+32 488 773 903
Clara Moreno de Borbón
+34 629 64 38 92
Robert de Graeff
+32 483 45 30 14
Associação Portuguesa das Casas Antigas
António Vasco Borges Coutinho
(+351) 218 876 675
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