About this place
Casa da Torre, also known as Torre de Lanhelas, is a historic noble residence in the village of Lanhelas, in the municipality of Caminha in northern Portugal. It overlooks the Minho river, which forms the border with Spain along this stretch. The house dates to the end of the Middle Ages and was extended by successive generations, so it shows how the lifestyle and taste of Portuguese nobility changed between the 15th and 19th centuries.
Where is Casa da Torre?
The manor stands in Lanhelas, in the Minho region, close to the town of Caminha. Its coordinates are roughly 41.908 N, 8.796 W. The surroundings are the farming and wine-growing landscape typical of the lower Minho valley.
How did Torre de Lanhelas come about?
The lordship of Lanhelas was founded by Gil Vasques Bacelar at the end of the 15th century. He inherited the land and built a house on it. In 1531 his son Afonso Vaz Bacelar added a tower beside the house, which is still the tallest tower of the complex. Its design borrows from military architecture, a model that Entre Douro e Minho nobles favoured in the 16th century. The tower expressed the family's standing more than any real defensive need.
Who reshaped the residence?
After Afonso's death the estate passed to his daughter, D. Margarida de Barros Bacelar, who married Rui de Sá Sottomayor. He is regarded as the great reformer of the house. In 1573 he had a second tower built over a branch of the river. A third tower was added in 1831 by Camilo de Sá Sotomayor, who linked it to the original tower with a separate wing.
What does the building look like?
The whole has a rectangular plan and is made up of several sections that came from three main building campaigns. Two are Renaissance in character and the third is Romantic. The result is a wealthy residence that joins two eras: the sterner forms of the 1500s and a 19th-century historicist romanticism. Three towers of different ages are its most recognisable feature.
Heritage protection
Casa da Torre is classified in Portugal as an Imóvel de Interesse Público, a property of public interest. The status was granted on 30 November 1993. Wikidata describes the site as a cultural heritage monument in Caminha.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Torre de Lanhelas? In the village of Lanhelas, in the municipality of Caminha, northern Portugal, by the Minho river.
What period is Casa da Torre from? The oldest part dates to the late Middle Ages. The first house was built at the end of the 15th century, the tallest tower in 1531, the second tower in 1573 and the third in 1831.
What architectural style is it? Two building phases are Renaissance and the third is Romantic. The towers draw on military architecture.
Is the building protected? Yes, since 30 November 1993, as a property of public interest.
Who owned it? The Bacelar family, followed by the de Sá Sottomayor line, which inherited the house through marriage to the heiress.
Can visitors go inside? Check current access rules with the Caminha municipality before you go, as the sources used here give no opening hours.
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