Casa da Gandarela, Capela de Santo António e jardim

Casa da Gandarela, Capela de Santo António e jardim is a historic manor complex in Gandarela de Basto, in the municipality of Celorico de Basto, northern Portugal. It brings together a noble house, the Chapel of Saint Anthony and a garden that stands among the most interesting in the region. The site is listed in Portugal's cultural heritage register.

What is this place?

Casa da Gandarela is one of the many manor houses that give Celorico de Basto its character. It was most likely built in the 17th century. The house has a U-shaped plan joining three bodies, and its most striking feature is an eclectic 18th-century tower, crenellated and fitted with twin windows. Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque elements blend together, so the building is described as a Baroque tower-type noble house.

Who lived here?

Some of the former lords are known. At the start of the 18th century the house belonged to Francisco Alves de Araújo, captain-major of Celorico. His son and then his grandson followed him. Both were field masters of the Auxiliaries of Basto and knight-nobles of the Royal Household, so the family held significant posts in the local hierarchy.

What is the Chapel of Saint Anthony like?

The chapel is part of the complex. It combines Mannerist and Baroque styles, with a single nave and an attached bell tower. It is a modest but distinctive building, typical of the private chapels that accompany manor houses in northern Portugal.

What makes the garden special?

The garden is the main attraction. It is a formal neo-Baroque garden on a quadrangular plan, shaped from clipped plants: camellias, cypresses, azaleas and boxwood. At its centre lies a circular pool, surrounded by boxwood topiary of fantastical animals that form a kind of bestiary. The style follows the tradition of the so-called Basto gardens, which show English influence introduced at Casa da Igreja by D. Emília Ermelinda Ferreira Pinto Basto.

Good to know before you go

• Gandarela de Basto lies in the municipality of Celorico de Basto, in the Minho region, Braga district.
• The complex has three parts: the house, the chapel and the garden.
• The garden is recognised as a historic garden, so give it more of your time than the building itself.
• Check current visiting arrangements before travelling, as this is a manor property rather than a large museum institution.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Casa da Gandarela? In Gandarela de Basto, municipality of Celorico de Basto, northern Portugal, at roughly 41.458 N, 8.032 W.

When was the house built? Most likely in the 17th century, with the tower dating from the 18th.

What is most interesting in the garden? The boxwood figures of fantastical animals around the circular pool, along with camellias, cypresses and azaleas.

Is there a chapel? Yes, the Chapel of Saint Anthony, a single-nave Mannerist and Baroque building with a bell tower.

Who is it for? Anyone who enjoys manor architecture, historic gardens and quiet corners of northern Portugal away from the busiest routes.