It is a family property that was bought by my grandparents. As a party of our history, we are very attached to it. My father is now the owner and we hope our own children will carry on this legacy for many years to come.
The property is made up of two houses. The largest is an ensemble of buildings that once housed a tavern, a grocery store and the family's main house. The smaller one, located just across the street, was used for producing traditional charcuterie. The meat was prepared in the current living room before the salting was carried out in the compartments which are now the bedrooms. The meat was then smoked in the large fireplace in the kitchen which is still there today. The houses are excellent examples of traditional Alentejo rural architecture with whitewashed facades and large fireplaces. We renovated them with great care, preserving the memory of our family and respecting the property's history. The courtyard, once a busy place for daily chores, is now a quiet space. The swimming pool blends so beautifully into the landscape that you could almost believe it had always been here.
Our family acquired the houses in 1919 to create a grocery store/tavern, bakery and barbershop. For a long time, the village was a very lively place because of the agricultural activity, the shops, the station that appeared in 1873 and the school that was opened in the 1940s. With the closure of the station, school and shops in the 1970s, the small village lost much of its livelihood and dynamism. In 2014, our family decided to restore the property with respect for the traditional local architecture and original character of the place. In 2016, Venda do Duque projected itself into the future by opening its doors to rural tourism, all the while preserving the soul of its past.
Venda do Duque is more than a picture of rural tourism, it is rural Alentejo frozen in a family estate held by the same family for five generations. The property is surrounded by nature. The nearby station, now closed, only adds to the feeling that time has stood still so as not to disturb the Venda do Duque's guests. Only the birds, the cows and the silence can be heard. This natural and isolated environment is nevertheless close to many vineyards and villages such as Évora, Estremoz, Arraiolos and is only an hour and a half from Lisbon.
I would recommend Gadanha Mercearia in Estremoz, a restaurant, grocery store and wine cellar where one can discover Alentejana cuisine, have a drink, and shop for regional products. Discover wines and contemporary architecture designed by Portuguese architect Frederico Valsassina in the round wine cellar of the Herdade do Freixo vineyard in Redondo. Watch spectacular sunsets from the Castle of Évoramonte which dates back to the 12th century and stands on one of the highest points of the Serra de Ossa. A traditional market is held in our village on the first Sunday of every month.
The property has two houses, the big house and the small house, which can accommodate up to ten and four people respectively. The houses can be rented together to make the most of the property's extensive land in complete privacy. If rented separately, the use of the patio and the swimming pool are shared between the two houses.
ref 647691
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