Quinta das Lágrimas

"Quinta das Lágrimas" (IPA2|ˈkĩtə dəʒ ˈlagriməʃ) is an estate in Coimbra, Portugal. It was classified [http://www.ippar.pt/pls/dippar/pat_pesq_detalhe?code_pass=73803 Instituto Português do Património Arquitectónico] Registry entry for Quinta das Lágrimas (retrieved March 16, 2007)] [ [http://www.dre.pt/pdfgratis/1977/09/22600.pdf Diário da República] of September 29, 1977 which establishes the protection (Retrieved March 16, 2007)] in 1977 as an "Imóvel de Interesse Publico" (En: Building of Public Interest) by the IPPAR. It includes 12 ha(29.6 acres) of gardens and a palace that has been converted into a luxury hotel. [ [http://www.quintadaslagrimas.pt/ Hotel Quinta da Lágrimas] (Retrieved March 16, 2007)]

History

The origin of the estate is uncertain. It is known that it was a hunting ground for the Portuguese royal family and that it later belongued of the University of Coimbra and afterwards to a religious order. It was acquired by the Osório Cabral de Castro family in 1730, by whose order the palace was built. In 1879 a large part of the palace was lost during a fire. It was rebuilt in the late nineteenth century by Miguel Osório Cabral de Castro, in a style different from that of the original.

Building

The palace building has a central body and two lateral ones. The lateral bodies feature a balcony with a railing of square columns on their façade. To the right there is a chapel.

The "Fonte das Lágrimas" (En: Fountain of Tears), which according to the legend originated from the tears shed by Inês de Castro when she was killed, is located close to the spring identified by António de Vasconcelos, and which entry features a broken arch, probably from the fourteenth century. [CORREIA, Vergílio and GONÇALVES, A. Nogueira - "Inventário Artistico de Portugal", Vol IV, ed. Academia Nacional de Belas Artes, 1953]

References