Quinta do Montinho, an Estate with an eighteenth century Manor House, belongs to a Minho’s family with deep agriculture roots since the establishment of Cluny monks in thirteenth century. The Spanish rule (1560-1640) archives and the parish’s books allowed to trace back the first reference of this family as agricultural landowners in 1621.
The manor House is of baroque architecture, built with granite stone of the region. The main building has a first floor with family rooms, which gives access to a green leisure area with fantastic views. At the entrance of the estate a central courtyard with a chapel can be found as well as the impressive granite staircase that leads to the building. On the ground floor we have the space reserved for the traditional winery/celler, winepress and old distillery, which has historical and touristic relevance. A very typical granary, stales, a barn and an old threshing floor can also be seen at Quinta do Montinho.
In the 19th century the manor house served as a refuge for a historical figure of the liberal movement, Marechal Saldanha, a Portuguese Army officer, diplomat and one of the dominant politicians of the 19th century in Portugal, with a political career that began in the Portuguese Civil War (1828-1834) and only ended with his death in 1876. His long political career, and the important positions he held, made him the most important statesman of the Portuguese constitutional monarchy period, substantially influencing the course of political events in Portugal over half a century.
