Solar dos Magalhães, Manor house in São Gonçalo, Portugal
Solar dos Magalhães is a manor house in São Gonçalo with a polygonal layout extending across two floors and displaying six arches in the loggia with Ionic columns on its main facade. The structure today consists of remaining walls awaiting transformation into a Memory House.
The manor house suffered significant damage during the French invasion of 1809, with only its exterior walls remaining after attacks by Napoleon's troops. This destruction marked a pivotal moment in the building's history, from which it never returned to its former state.
The building displays typical Portuguese rural nobility architecture with its regularly arranged windows, including chest windows on the lower floor and balcony windows above. This window design reflects the living style of a wealthy family who needed space and light to express their status.
The building sits near Amarante train station above Rua Cândido dos Reis and is easily accessible by public transport. Since it currently stands as a ruin, visitors should move carefully and watch for unstable structures.
The property belonged to the Magalhães and Meneses family, who later received the titles of Counts of Alvelos and Counts of Vilas Boas. These noble titles reveal the family's importance in regional society during the 18th century.
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