Solar dos Malafaias, Santa Cruz da Trapa, Manor house in Santa Cruz da Trapa, Portugal.
Solar dos Malafaias is a manor house in Santa Cruz da Trapa with a rectangular footprint and carefully worked stonework throughout. The facade is marked by a prominent family coat of arms above the main entrance that identifies the property as an aristocratic residence.
The property was built in the second half of the 18th century and belonged to Joaquim Telles de Malafaya Freyre d'Almeida Mascarenhas. Its construction reflects the building style of that era, when such country estates served as symbols of power and wealth.
The house displays the architectural language of Portuguese nobility and shapes the village character with its stone coat of arms above the entrance, marking the family's importance in the region. Visitors can see on the facade the careful craftsmanship typical of manor houses from this period.
The house is located near Sao Pedro do Sul in the Viseu area and is best reached by the local roads through the region. The surrounding countryside is rural, so visitors should wear sturdy footwear and allow time for travel through the area.
The architecture is sometimes credited to Nicolau Nasoni, a famous Portuguese architect, though no verified evidence supports this claim. This attribution remains disputed among historians and is often mentioned only as speculation.
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