Once upon a time there was a mansion where Memory and History walked hand in hand. A special place where dreams and fables meet and wander around, playing hide-and-seek, in secret gardens by a river.
A very elegantly designed mansion, well to the neoclassical taste, with privileged location and beauty, built in the 19th century, by the Baron of Urgeira, to be the home of his eldest daughter. Located within the city wall, in the front line facing the River Minho, its floodplain, and facing the Cathedral of Tui in neighboring Spain. Next to the mansion is the oldest door of the wall of Valenca, the 'Porta da Gaviarra', where walkers end the Portuguese 'Santiago Camino'.
The mansion is a set of 2 Urban Articles: the 'parent house' (mansion) and another building ('the annex'), uninhabited, and attached to the mansion, and in need of works. At present, there is no direct passage to the 'parent house' although it is very easy to do so. You can, however, have direct access to the larger garden even if you are not connected to the 'parent house'.
A mansion well suited to the taste of the time. Built in stone masonry, whose exterior walls, original to the house, are made of granite with great thickness. Richly worked iron guards on the balconies. The cornerstones, punches, cornices and frames of the openings are in finely worked granite. Composed of ground floor and two storeys, the mansion has a total of 7 bedrooms, spread over the 3 floors, 5 of which are ensuite. One of the bedrooms is on the ground floor ('the chaufeur's room'), with its own bathroom. There are 2 bedrooms (ensuite) on the first floor and 4 bedrooms on the second floor (attic). As for bathrooms, it has a total of 6, one of which is a toilet. There is no central heating. The mansion is also equipped with charming and refined dining room and living room. There is also a garage, several storage rooms, a lounge on the ground floor, library, kitchen and romantic gardens.
The attached house ('annex') consists of a ground floor and two other floors, with 5 ensuite rooms, spread over the several floors. It also has, on the ground floor, a pantry and a room. The roof has a concrete structure and is in good condition. It has central heating infrastructure that needs to be revised (electrical convectors).
Decoration and works carried out on the mansion (parent house):
In the second half of the 20th century, it underwent an important remodeling work: structure of pillars, beams and slabs including the structure of the roof.
All bay windows are new, made of high quality wood, with thick section and double glazing. Placed in 2018.
In the rooms there is parquet flooring in hardwood and in the bedrooms there is carpet.
Most divisions have been covered, very recently, with wallpaper of great quality and refinement (Versace, Laura Ashley, Elitis, and the famous Thibaut).
The wallpaper that lines the walls and ceiling of the living room, on the second floor, is in French toile de Jouy, and represents an 18th century party in Chantilly.
The living room has a fireplace topped by a large granite stone with a carved angel head and plant motifs adorn the angel's face on the sides. This stone was removed from the ground floor (next to the garage) where it served as a lintel for a door. The fireplace in the dining room is made of marble, acquired in France, and is lined with three cast iron plates representing putti and plant motifs.
The terrace has a hydraulic mosaic floor, manufactured by hand, with a design inspired by the Italian palace from the film 'Leopard' by Luchino Visconti.
Outside:
It has two gardens, one smaller next to the terrace with several camellia trees, a rhododendron and two magnolias.
The second garden has a high wall along the circulating path of Gaviarra, part of the old wall of the stronghold. Adorned with a large number of camellias, some of which are quite rare. There is also a rare example of a 'Bela Portuguesa' ro
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