Page 23 - Reside Magazine Lusk Associates

Reside — Spring 2025

House of heritage

Dutch businessman and consul
Daniel Gildemeester paid homage
to Pombaline architecture when he
built the Quinta da Alegria country
estate in late 18th-century Sintra,
Portugal. Named after the first
their windows as she bathed in the pool of the Casa Holstein hotel. The casino Marquês de Pombal who rebuilt
in Sintra’s coastal village, Azenhas do Mar, heaved. Lisbon after its 1755 earthquake,
While the casino is long gone, in many ways Sintra is still a resort town. this style is known for its elegant,
The residential property market attracts international buyers, traditionally symmetrical and anti-seismic design.
from Brazil, the United Kingdom and France, with a recent surge from North In 2007, Quinta da Alegria was
America. In 2023, Sintra registered 63,220 foreign residents, 32.8% more than carefully restored by a family with
the previous year. Portuguese real estate has garnered attention ever since the Austrian royal heritage. Many original
Non-Habitual Resident regime and Golden Visa scheme were announced in features have survived—including the
2009 and 2012 respectively, although the government has excluded real-estate exquisite painted ceiling in the grand
investments as a pathway to residency as of 2023. The revised program now library—but are now enhanced by
requires a minimum investment of $520,000 in eligible funds, venture capital contemporary additions, including
or business ventures, or a charitable contribution of at least $260,000—still an elevator and heated swimming
attractive terms. In 2024, house sales prices in Portugal rose by 10% according pool. The main manor, along with
to real-estate intelligence company Confidencial Imobiliário. two guesthouses and a caretaker’s
These incentives, along with the mild climate and scenic views, have house, sits in a 10-acre landscape
attracted northern European transplants by the planeload. Brussels power of terraces, pools and trees, with
couple Bernard Roché and Christina Cunningham Roché recently exchanged a citrus grove, lake and grotto.
gray Belgian skies for a 19th-century manor in Sintra, while French interior It affords stunning views over the
designer Arnaud Cabri-Wiltzer has restored Casa das Rosas, a chalet that was historic sites of Sintra, including
originally designed by the family of Portuguese architect Raul Lino. the adjacent Seteais Palace,
Creative projects are flowering in unexpected corners, like the farm- a neoclassical masterpiece, which
restaurant Campo Escondido and the artistic residency La Nave. This has also is now a five-star hotel.
sparked a new wave of hospitality with a sexier edge. Hotel Marqí offers
a Hollywood-inspired atmosphere with meticulous cinematic detail, and the
slick Argentinian duo, Nicolás Lehmann and Franco Bordoni, have acquired
Quinta Santa Maria Sintra and the 300-year-old Palácio da Fonte Nova in Price upon request
Queluz, where they have installed Michelin-starred chef Joachim Koerper. Property ID: D9MKWR
While Sintra’s sense of quiet luxury persists, this fresh influx of residents in sothebysrealty.com
search of their own private “Eden” certainly seems to be ushering in a new era. 0 Portugal Sotheby’s International Realty
Susana Carreira
Ellie Howard is a culture writer and researcher, based in Lisbon, Portugal +1 351 919 192 919

21