Quinta de Santo António

MORE INFORMATION

This beautiful rustic house was bought by a Brazilian emigrant and adapted from a weaving room and bakery and renovated in the 19th century. Close to the Peneda-Gêres National Park, it has spectacular views to the mountains. There is a swimming pool and the luxury of spas in the nearby area of Monção and Melgaço.
In “Solares de Portugal – The art of good living”, Edições INAPA, 2007

HISTORY
In 1748, a money changer called António Luís Marques I lived in an old house in the estate of Quinta de Santo António. On his many business trips to Spain, he became acquainted with a beautiful young girl, Maria António, who he invited to work as a maid on his estate.
Maria Antónia developed a certain dedication to António Luís Marques II, the money-changer's son, waiting up for him to open the door when he had been out very late, so as to escape his parent's condemnation. One day, much to the money-changer's horrer, Maria antónia announced she was pregnant. The pregnancy and the child were hidden from the public, and the baby girl given to a foster mother. She was named Maria da conceição.
António Luís Marques II's relationship with Maria Antónia had now deteriorated. When António Luís Marques II was 22, he developed tuberculosis and became very ill. Maria Antónia went quickly to register her child under her father's name. She was now 2 year old, and by law, the only heiress to the dying man.
António Luís Marques II died shortly after, and another shock awaited everyone - Maria Antónia was pregnant again. This time, the money-changer did not try to cover up the pregnancy as the death of their son took with him the fear of what society would think or say.
The second child, a boy, was not considered the son of António Luís Marques II as he was born after his death. Thus, the little girl was considered as his heiress, and joined her mother at the house she had inherited. The son, António Luís Marques III, emigrated to Brazil, but upon his return in 1886 he bought the house from his sister, demolished it and constructed Quinta de Santo António on the foundations.