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its walls, history of ancient times is kept, and if they could
in fact speak, they would recite poetry of Feliciano de Castilho.
It is said the house, initially, belonged to the family of
the poet António Feliciano de Castilho and to his descendants,
who, sold the house to the viscount of Seabra. It was from
the viscount of Seabra that Lígia Mexia Leitão
grandfather, an ancient farmer of the region, bought the house
of São Lourenço. As he had a several children,
his intention was to leave a house, in testament, to each
one. His daughter’s youth was spent travelling from
one city to another accompanying her father whenever he had
to travel. The judge’s profession did not permit him
to stay for a long time in the same place. But the São
Lourenço Estate was, intrinsically, the only firm settled
place they had, and where they would return after each voyage.
When her father died she tried to find a way of keeping the
propriety that would be very difficult to depart from. For
it is there, where all her memories are.
After buying her brothers share, in 1989, she found a way
of transforming it, maintaining its original trace.
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The
São Lourenço Estate, from its ancient name
« da lage», name derivative of the characteristic
calcareous soil on which the house implants, repeats in
its trace, disposition and in its detailed front, the type
of Portuguese construction of the 18th century.
In curse of time, repairs of conservation where done that
introduced some changes to the original trace of the house.
It is known that the Viscount of Seabra, juriconsult and
politician (1798-1895), had inherited or bought the property,
having been in this house that he retired to elaborate his
most known production, the Portuguese Civil Code - a stamp
so original and modern that it was kept in force since 1867
to 1966! Many old stories are told of debates formed around
certain aspects more controversy of the Code, stories that
are object of curiosity and reverence by historians of the
juridical science.
Today,
The São Lourenço Estate welcomes guests, with
all its affection.
Used
as a place for Habitational Tourism, the house has all the
comfort and functionality that this kind of tourism demands.
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