Casa do Arco

Casa do Arco is a former noble residence in the very centre of Vila Real, in northern Portugal. For centuries it was home to the city's most important figures: the counts, and later the marquises, of Vila Real. Today it stands as one of the region's most interesting examples of Manueline civil architecture.

What should you know about Casa do Arco?

The house sits in the middle of town and has two facades from different eras. The older main facade dates from the 16th century and faces Avenida Carvalho Araújo. The rear facade, on Rua António Azevedo, was probably built in the 17th or 18th century. Together they show how the residence grew and changed over several hundred years.

What does the 16th-century facade look like?

The main facade has two storeys and four windows. The two middle windows are twinned and carved in the Manueline style, the Portuguese form of late Gothic that flourished during the Age of Discovery. They are the building's signature feature. Look for the arched finish and the decorative framing.

Who lived here?

The exact date of construction is unknown. The house is tied to the family that held the titles of count and then marquis of Vila Real. The dates those titles were granted, together with the Manueline windows, indicate that the family used it as a residence from at least the first quarter of the 16th century.

The family's story ended dramatically. In 1641 the last heir, D. Pedro de Meneses, was beheaded in Lisbon's Rossio Square, accused of treason against King John IV. With his death the line of the marquises of Vila Real came to an end.

What happened to the house afterwards?

A lease agreement for the building had been signed in 1634. The Crown renewed it repeatedly until 1834. In that year Casa do Arco passed into the full ownership of the Vaz Guedes Pereira Pinto family.

Is Casa do Arco worth seeing?

Yes, if you enjoy Portuguese history and architecture from the era of the great voyages. It lies in the city centre, so it fits easily into a walk around Vila Real. The most striking view is the facade on Avenida Carvalho Araújo, with its twinned Manueline windows.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Casa do Arco? In central Vila Real. The main facade faces Avenida Carvalho Araújo and the rear faces Rua António Azevedo.

When was it built? The older facade dates from the 16th century, and the rear facade probably from the 17th or 18th century.

Who lived in Casa do Arco? The counts and later marquises of Vila Real, the city's most important noble family.

What is the Manueline style? It is a Portuguese late Gothic style from the late 15th and early 16th centuries, known for rich decoration. At Casa do Arco it appears in the twinned windows of the facade.

What happened to the marquises of Vila Real? The last of the line, D. Pedro de Meneses, was beheaded in Lisbon in 1641 on a charge of treason, and the title line died out.

Who owned the house after 1834? The Vaz Guedes Pereira Pinto family, who then took full possession of the building.