Casa de Margaride

Casa de Margaride, also called Casa e Quinta de Margaride, is a historic noble house in the parish of Mesão Frio, part of the municipality of Guimarães in northern Portugal. The manor, its garden, farm buildings and adjoining woodland form an estate whose story reaches back to the Middle Ages.

What is Casa de Margaride?

It is an aristocratic rural house of very old origin. The grounds include a terrace and a formal garden enclosed by walls and decorated with mannerist pyramids, plus a small wood and cultivated fields. It is a typical example of a Minho country estate, where house, garden and farm worked as a single whole.

What is the history of the estate?

The earliest records go back to the medieval period, when the property was known as Villa Margaridi. The first known owner was Countess Mumadona Dias, who left it to two nuns, Sesita and her daughter Bronili. Documents dated 14 June 1021 record Bronili selling it to Idila and his wife Astileova. A further sale on 9 February 1044 passed it to Elsinda, also a nun.

In 1059, when King Ferdinand I of León compiled an inventory of properties and churches around Guimarães, he named only two places in this area: the church of São Romão in Mesão Frio and the Quinta de Margaride. That shows how notable the estate already was in the 11th century.

By a donation of 18 May 1314, the property went to the canons of the collegiate church of Nossa Senhora da Oliveira in Guimarães. In 1421 Afonso V granted it to João Estevão da Ponte, lord of the entailed estate of Honra de Gominhães. At that time the land stretched as far as the walls of the Monastery of Santa Marinha da Costa.

How did the architecture change?

Around 1500 the house was described as a tiled tower house with three arched doorways. It went through successive alterations before being deeply remodelled. Henrique Cardoso de Macedo Martins de Menezes, the 2nd Count of Margaride, chose it as his residence and had the tower demolished.

Why is it protected?

By Order No. 740-FI/2012 of 13 December 2012, the house, garden, agricultural buildings and neighbouring woodland were classified as a Monument of Public Interest. The trees of the Quinta de Margaride have also been separately classified as being of public interest. Local sources say they include three of the oldest cultivars described in Europe.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Casa de Margaride? In the parish of Mesão Frio, municipality of Guimarães, Braga District, northern Portugal (about 41.450 N, 8.277 W).

Is it a listed monument? Yes. The house, garden and woodland have held Monument of Public Interest status since 2012.

How old is the estate? Documents mention Villa Margaridi as early as 1021, and it probably existed earlier, so its history spans roughly a thousand years.

Can I visit the interiors? The estate is private. Before you go, check with the tourist office in Guimarães about any events or visits.

Who is it for?

History lovers and fans of old residential architecture and gardens. Pair a visit with the historic centre of Guimarães and the nearby Santa Marinha da Costa monastery, which the estate bordered centuries ago.