At this event we will get to know Quinta da Bacalhôa, including:

1 - A Bacalhôa headquarters, where you can appreciate the exhibitions of African Culture, Art Deco, Art Noveuau, the largest collection of tiles in Portugal (from the 16th to the 20th century), as well as the barrel rooms where red wine and muscatel wine are aged. This visit lasts approximately 60 minutes.

2 - O Palace/Quinta da Bacalhôa where you'll visit a 16th century building, which on the ground floor contains several pieces from the Berardo Collection, you'll also visit the Jardim do Buxo, the vineyards and the Casa do Lago (also known as Casa do Prazer!). This visit lasts approximately 60 minutes.

3 - A visit to Bacalhôa Winery/Museum

4 - We'll end our visit with a Wine Tasting

Quinta da Bacalhôa:

In the 15th century it belonged to João, Infante of Portugal, son of King João I, as a pleasure farm. His daughter Brites, married to the second Duke of Viseu and mother of King Manuel I, inherited it. The buildings still exist, the walls with their domed turrets and the large pond were also improvements ordered by Mrs Brites.

The quinta was sold in 1528 to D. Brás de Albuquerque, the first-born son of D. Afonso de Albuquerque. As well as enriching the buildings with beautiful tiles, the new owner had a harmonious "pleasure house" built next to the pond and two sturdy pavilions next to the side walls. At the end of the 16th century, this farm was part of a manor belonging to Jerónimo Teles Barreto - a descendant of Afonso de Albuquerque. This estate - which included Quinta da Bacalhoa - was inherited by his sister, D. Maria Mendonça de Albuquerque, married to D. Jerónimo Manuel - from Casa da Atalaia - known by the nickname "Bacalhau".

It is very likely that the name "Bacalhoa", by which the old Quinta de Vila Fresca in Azeitão came to be known, originated from the fact that Jerónimo Manuel's wife was also called in the same sarcastic way. This quinta has become one of Portugal's artistic treasures.

Naturally, it has undergone some changes over the course of its five centuries of existence, but it still retains the ogival vaults from its earliest days, the palace with Renaissance-style windows, the cubicles representing the Way of the Cross and decorative ceramic elements from the 16th century. The tiles bear the date 1565 and the signature of the ceramist Francisco de Matos. Faience medallions of Flemish origin frame busts of historical significance.

In 1936, Palácio da Bacalhoa was bought and restored by an American, Orlena Scoville, whose grandson took on the mission of turning the estate into one of Portugal's largest wine producers in the 1970s.

Quinta da Bacalhoa currently belongs to the Berardo Foundation, led by the Berardo family, Portugal's ninth richest, whose patriarch is Madeiran Joe Berardo. It was classified by IPPAR as a National Monument in 1996.

Walking:

After the visit to Quinta da Bacalhôa we will take our usual walk through the surrounding area, passing through Vila Nogueira de Azeitão and its Fonte dos Pasmados, among other places of interest, as well as the famous "Tortas de Azeitão".