History

CONCEPT

The past that becomes the future is the best gift of all

Memory isn’t a smooth, continuous line, it’s a jolt of the heart. At Casas da Memória, the invitation is to awaken your heart and create your own memories.

Because there are places that imprint emotions and leave happiness patterns etched on your skin, emotional imprints and reasons to return again and again.

Here, you can experience four different houses, each designed for the number of special people you wish to share this emotional universe with. For two, with family, with friends, or even on your own. A delicate canvas that fits the shape of each person, an emotional haute couture design, scented with medieval notes that hint at timelessness.

The houses are set within a five-hectare property with inspiring views of the Santa Helena mountains. The estate offers indoor and outdoor pools, a tennis court, and an Olympic riding arena, as well as romantic picnic spots where the ever-present sound of water helps to compose a bucolic, inspiring scene.

Sharing, emotion, history, and comfort are the keywords that define the soul of this place.

the MEMORY of the HOUSES
Mother place where the heart is startled
and the tradition remains alive

A great love gave rise to this unique hospitality project, which brings together four neighboring houses on the same narrow and undulating street, an organic path through which the same longing and a mix of different stories run.

Safeguarding memory, historical and cultural legacy, and keeping the original love alive is the noble purpose of this project. More noble than the coat of arms that overlooks the centuries-old entrance to Casa do Cimo da Vila, where the surnames Pinto, Maya, Fonseca, and Vasconcelos are united, with the Vasconcelos family name.
The House of the Captains-Major, in the Osório de Vasconcelos family since the 17th century, is the beating heart of the Houses of Memory, the root and raison d'être of all that has been added to it. A cherished heritage, the family cradle of Jorge and Assunção, whose great love has already produced children and grandchildren, who often return here to celebrate shared experiences and nurture memories. They occupy an ancestral manor house for the exclusive use of the family, but which can be visited, featuring an impressive library, a chapel and oratory, and even underground passages.

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A family story

Casas da Memória is the fruit of a love story.

Having in the center the house of the Captains-Major and surrounded by a set of small
The manor houses that make up the Casas da Memória (Houses of Memory) have been in the Osório de Vasconcelos family since the 17th century. In 1995, the Casa dos Capitães-Mor was bequeathed to the Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Lamego. But history would have it that this heritage would return to the family, and in 1997, Assunção Osório de Vasconcelos and her husband, Jorge Jardim Gonçalves, reacquired the house and began a renovation project that culminated in the Casas da Memória as they stand today. Assunção and Jorge spent many good times here with their children and grandchildren. Memories are present everywhere, in the gardens, the vineyards, the library, and in the photographs that capture moments of a full life, in which dedication to family, entrepreneurial spirit, and service to the community and country are distinctive features.
And because memories must be preserved, Assunção and Jorge brought,
His entire personal archive—which includes records of his rich student life, associations, and volunteering, his professional life in teaching and banking, and his personal and family life—was properly cataloged and transported to Mondim da Beira. Jorge's personal library also traveled from his home in Sintra to the place where memories of the past are concentrated, with an eye to the future.
Welcome to the Houses of Memory!

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A secular heritage

The House of the Captains-Major. The family home.

This is the main manor house, reserved for the exclusive use of the family and their
Guests. House of the Captains-Major of Mondim da Beira for several generations, the last Captain-Major, D. José Pinto de Mesquita Pimentel, born in 1766 and died in 1842, was from it. In 1834, with the restoration of the National Guard, the figure of the captains-major disappeared. It is probably the only emblazoned house of Mondim that still exists in the family of arms that make up its coat of arms (Pinto, Maya, Fonseca, and Vasconcelos, with the Vasconcelos manor).
With an indoor library, chapel, and oratory, this house houses the memories of Assunção and Jorge's lives, perpetuating their legacy. Although reserved for family use, the house can be visited upon request. Contact us to learn about the conditions of this guided tour.

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The Legacy

The rehabilitation of Casas da Memória also represented an opportunity to enhance the region.
The Arquivo Municipal Jardim Gonçalves, located in the small town of Mondim da Beira, housed in a former Cistercian granary, now houses a wealth of documentary material essential for understanding local and regional history. In the home of the Captains-Major, the personal library of Assunção and Jorge Jardim Gonçalves contains hundreds of volumes that help us chart and understand the history of an important period in Portugal's history.
At Casas da Memória, we want to honor the past and leave our legacy for future generations.