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Convento da Visitação or "Convent of the Visitation"
is all surrounded by hills
and has a large fence walled all arround
in which there were
"a lot of trees and paths".
This description of the Convent in the XIX century,
remains true.
By walking through the woods,
there are places where the sun doesn't seem to go through,
and others where the water
gives us moments of freshness and well-being.
In the beginning of our nationality,
this farm is born as master domain
and it is mentioned in the "foral de Pontável" dated 1233,
written by D. Sancho I.
João Gonçalves Gómedes, mayor of Alenquer
is rewarded for his services to the Crown
with the Alcadaria of Vila Verde.
In the XIV century,
this family, which decides to adopt the name 'Alburquerque', through maternal lineage
decides to build another Vila in the hill, where they could hide from the outside world.
Gonçalo de Albuquerque,
Sir of Vila Verde
and Afonso de Albuquerque's father
the first governor of India
is said to have built the first Convento da Visitação, from which it was possible to recognize
until not long ago, the old church tower,
along side with the Paço and the Misericórdia da Vila.
It is known, that the second Convento had replaced the first building,
due to the lack of water and humidity felt by the friars on that first place.
In the XV century, the donees restructured the Convento to the place where it is now.
The dome of the high altar, cross-shaped,
remains as the result of several constructions undertaken between 1525 and 1535,
and it was designed by João de Castilho, a prestigious arquitect of D. Manuel I.
Working on behalf of D. João III,
while designing the Ravens' Cloister in Convento de Tomar
and the Jerónimos' Cloister,
João de Castilho modifies the original church and in 1540,
finishes the constructions, for the first donee of the new Convento da Visitação.
D. Pedro de Noronha, Afonso de Albuquerque's eldest brother,
The governor of India,
is the sixth Sir of Vila Verde,
whom's face had been sculpted in the stone at the intersection of the domes' vault, and the weapons appear represented on the grave
which is located in the central nave of the church.
This tombstone dated 1566,
precisely the exact same year as the Chapter Hall's constructions,
was build under the orders of D. Cecília de Noronha, his sister-in-law.
Between 1580 and 1590,
During Filipes' reign
The Franciscan friars take charge of the Convent
and in response to a governmental order
a new hall entrance and sacristy are built.
The friezes and decorations, that can be seen in these two mentioned compartments, date from the same period.
In the period that followed the restoration
The donees of the Convento request a new retable, made of stone, to João Antunes
the royal architect of D. Pedro II who had designed the National Pantheon,
'Menino de Deus' church and also
S. Pedro de Alcântara's church in Lisbon,
in order to remind the power of Albuquerque's family lineage,
appears the Fleur-de-lys all around the retable's edge,
which connects them to Borgonha,
French Royal family.
From the reign of D. João V,
are documented the Albarradas blue and white tiles
and the ones right above the door, on the entrance of the sacristy and cloister,
and represent a Franciscan Order symbol.
From the reign of D. José I,
before the 1755 earthquake
remains the panels which represent the life of S. Francisco.
It is believed that they
had been painted by Valentin de Almeida,
and ordered paint by the donee, Teresa de Noronha e Bourbom,
first wife of Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo,
Marquês de Pombal.
However, the family loses its importance for the king and his crown
and struggles to keep the Convento.
In 1834,
A governmental order from Mouzinho de Albuquerque , and the general extinction of Convents in Portugal,
led to the decision to sell the Convento da Visitação.
In 1873 and after a tortuous judicial process,
conducted by the family,
is bought em hasta pública by Sebastião José de Carvalho,
viscount of Chanceleiros.
After the acquisition,
he decides to construct a magnificent Villa
that is described by Pinho Leal in the 11th volume of the book "Portugal Antigo e Moderno"
as one of the first Villas in the municipality;
having a beautifully impact with its
ogival windows,
battlements on the terrace,
the Chapter Hall with its cupola and viewpoint
and highlighted the old church tower darkened as time went by.
One thing that remains throughout the centuries is
the water from the Convento da Visitação,
which was studied in the beginning of the XX century by
the Professor Charles Lepierre,
He described the water coming from the source of the Lion' Fountain as:
a water with mineral and medicinal properties,
with bicarbonate and calcium fluoride,
mainly suited to treat digestive diseases.
It iss considered one of the first well-known waters in Europe
longside with Luso, Evian and Vichi;
At one time, it was commercialized in Lisbon.
The Villa was rehabilitated and nowadays is classified by the DGT (Portuguese Tourism Entity),
as Turismo de Habitação (rural tourism),
offering four guest rooms
living room,
dining room,
games room,
library,
and a multi-purpose room equipped with a bar.
The Rural Turism includes also a tennis court,
a SPA, a heated swimming pool,, jacuzzi, sauna and gymnasium.
The properties and 'Quintas' all around this area,
acquired by Manuel de Carvalho and Sebastião José de Carvalho, Viscount of Chanceleiros
such as: Quinta da Visitação,
Quinta de Cortagana and Bravo, had the main purpose of planting vines.
In the beginning of the XX century,
The Quinta was handed over to Abel Pereira da Fonseca,
who continued its commercial exploitation even after selling it to 'Comendador Nunes Correia',
and when the production reached its high potencial and went through a prosperity moment, he started commercializing the wine Quinta do Convento as a prestigious wine and of high quality.
Nowadays, the agricultural land of Quinta do Convento main exploitation is
the vines.
and it counts approximately 13 hectares, always supervised.
The process of replanting,
concluded in 2002, sucessfully planted wine-grapes varieties carefully selected
and perfectly suited for calcareous soils and high-altitude climates.
The Portuguese wine-grapes varieties such as: Touriga Nacional,
Tinta Barrocca and Tinta Roriz
coexist harmoniously with the French wine-grapes varieties such as: Merlot, Caladoc,
Pinot Noir and Syrah.
The winery made of stone and located in the middle of the vineyards was built under the orders of Viscount
of Chanceleiros,
and it was carefully restored, in order to allow
the use of the most modern technologies concerning the production of wine.
The harvest is reap onto 12 kilos small boxes, but only
high quality grapes are used to produce wine.
To ensure the excellence, a second control process is carried out,
by rigorously selecting the grapes on the selective table.
The grapes are sorted according to its origin and the process of vinification is initiated using different procedures:
open wine vats,
closed wine vats,
rotating steel vats and wooden barrels to proceed with the fermentation,
always with a temperature control system,
in order to develop its full potential.
First, the wine ages in high-quality French and American oak barrels
within a cellar dug in the limestone rock providing perfect conditions of temperature, humidity and luminosity
After being bottled, the wine ages with the exact same conditions
mentioned before, as to obtain high-quality wines.
Despite how old the vines are,
The produced wine,
full of history and tradition,
is the exact proof that only being rigorous while selecting, also the high standards and commitment throughout the whole process,
allows to obtain fabulous wines.
In order to present and commercialize the wines,
which are part of an enoTurism project,
This "Quinta" provides, to those who wish to visit it, the required facilities.
The rooms and the Winter Garden,
allow the accomplishment of every kind of events.