Almiara Farmhouse

Located in the Lower Mondego, on the south bank of the river, in front of the village of Ereira, the “Quinta” of Almiara belonged to the Monastery of Santa Cruz de Coimbra.

The farmhouse was the headquarters of the agricultural production (mainly rice) of the surrounding lands and served as a summer retreat for the Augustinian friars. The initial nucleus appears to be from the end of the 16th century, as the date of 1580 is inscribed on one of the doors. The house was the subject of important works in the eighteenth century, when the widespread main body was built, facing north towards the river, composed of a central module, extensive wings with cells and turrets at the ends (one of them never completed). The coat of arms painted on the ceiling of the East turret room has the date of 1755. At the rear, to the south, stands the chapel, parallel to the house’s main body. A cylindrical pigeonry rises independently to the southeast.

From 1834, with the extinction of the religious orders, the estate and the house became private property. They are currently abandoned.

The group work comprised the schematic survey of the estate’s main building, in plan and elevation, so that its spatial organization and its essential features could be registered. The hypothetical design of the main elevation over the Mondego (in case the building had been completed) was also carried out.

• CONCEIÇÃO, Augusto dos Santos. Terras de Montemor-o-Velho. Coimbra : [Ed. do A.], 1944
• GÓIS, Correia. Concelho de Montemor-o-Velho: A terra e a gente. Montemor-o-Velho: Câmara Municipal, 1995
• MATOS, João Cunha. Montemor-o-Velho: sua história, sua arte. Coimbra : EPARTUR, 1977
• SIPA | DGPC

Andreia Barata  ·  Bruna Marques  ·  Diogo Tavares  ·  Mariana Martins  ·  Mariana Almeida

2012/2013 

Graphic elements revised by João Negrão, 2016