Casa de Santa Maria (Sta. Maria House)
Inseparable from the Cascais landscape, in the ensemble it forms with the Santa Marta Lighthouse Museum and the Condes de Castro Guimarães Museum-Library, the Casa de Santa Maria dates from 1902. It is one of the most emblematic works of the architect Raul Lino, who began his career in the municipality of Cascais, designing a series of houses for friends.
At the end of the 19th century, Jorge O'Neil, an aristocrat linked to the tobacco industry, bought some land near Santa Marta and first had the Torre de São Sebastião - now the Museu Condes de Castro Guimarães - built and, a little later, the Casa de Santa Maria.
Around 1917, the property was sold to the engineer José Lino Júnior, older brother of the architect Raul Lino. José Lino, a great collector and art lover, acquired for his new home a set of artistic 17th century tiles and a wooden ceiling painted in oil by António de Oliveira Bernardes, from an old chapel in Frielas.
Designed in length, the Casa de Santa Maria is made up of a succession of rooms, the result of a well thought-out growth exercise. Inside, a series of elements stand out, including a large number of figurative and patterned tiles, both country and religious, and the oil-painted wooden ceiling, which was adapted for the dining room. The existence of such a rich and diverse collection of tiles - panels such as the Purification of Our Lady, the Flight into Egypt, the Virgin with Jesus and St. John the Child, the Circumcision, Jesus among the Doctors, Our Lady sewing - reveals an indisputable heritage value, since it is the artistic repertoire of the Portuguese Baroque.
The space, which is popular for themed guided tours, regularly hosts conferences, book presentations, various workshops, temporary exhibitions and free courses. Its facilities can also be used for weddings and other social and promotional events.
In October 2004, Casa de Sta. Maria was acquired by Cascais Town Hall from the Espírito Santo family.
NOTICE | Temporarily closed to the public
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Halfway between the promontory of Guia and Cabo Raso stands Fort S. Jorge, originally also known as the bastion of Oitavos because it was located near the head of the same name - now called Oitavos - where there was a lookout.
Built between 1642 and 1648, its polygonal plan with five unequal sides, resting on the cliff, is a prime example of adaptation to the terrain.
On December 21, 1974, it was classified as a Property of Public Interest and, in 1999, it was transferred by the Directorate-General for State Heritage to Cascais Municipal Council, with the aim of restoring, safeguarding and enhancing it.
It was opened to the public in 2001 as a museum at the service of culture.
Inside the fortified space, the building where the barracks, gunpowder house, warehouses and kitchens were located now features an exhibition, organized into two sections, which integrates the Fort of S. Jorge de Oitavos into the military device for the advanced defence of the Tagus bar and reveals aspects of its functional organization and experiences in times of war and peace.
Core I
- The defensive line of the Tagus bar, the fortifications of Cascais and the Fort of St. George
- Evocation of the construction of the defensive apparatus of the oceanic mouth of Lisbon and surrounding territories, presenting the most important historical moments of this process with regard to the maritime fortifications of Cascais, from the 15th to the 19th centuries.
- The second part of this section focuses on the history of the Fort of S. Jorge, in a record of memory, in parallel with contemporary national events.
Section II
- Artillery and garrison at the end of the 18th century
- This room deals with the themes of artillery and garrisons, using replicas of uniforms and instruments that were used in the armory and fire hydrant service, corresponding to a “time capsule”, located between the 1760s and the French Invasions.
Closed on Monday | Easter Sunday | May 1st | Christmas Day | New Year's Day
