In Portugal, in a high-quality residential area of Alcabideche, beautiful modern independent villa designed by the architect Raul Vieira with swimming pool and garden.
The villa is located a short distance from the A5 highway and grants access to several services in the vicinities (like hospitals, shopping malls and even golf clubs). The nearest towns of Portugal are Cascais (6km; 15’), Sintra (12m; 15’), Lisboa (27km; 25’), Torres Vedras (69km; 50’), Santarém (108km; 1h 5’) and Fátima (153km; 1h 30’). A bit farther, but not less important, especially for wine lovers, one can reach Porto (339km; 3h 5’).
The most useful airports to reach the property are Lisbona Portela (30km; 25’) e Faro (296km; 2h 45’).
DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING
The villa (392 sqm – 4,218 sqft) was built in 2002 and is laid out onto three floors:
- Basement: ample local (50 sqm), laundry, cellar and two storage rooms.
- Ground floor: entrance hall, living room (60 sqm with high ceilings, fireplace, library and direct access to the garden with pool), dining room (20 sqm) and a guest bathroom. A section of the floors is occupied by the domestic staff’s quarters, where we find a bedroom, a bathroom and a kitchen (20 sqm with scullery and pantry).
- First floor: 3 bedrooms (22 sqm + 19 sqm + 19 sqm), one of which with private sitting room.
The property is equipped with a useful garage with two car spots.
STATE AND FINISHES
The villa, designed by the Portuguese architect Raul Vieira, boasts a modern look with a mix of different materials: stone and parquet floors, wooden ceilings and exposed stone on the walls. Bathrooms are covered in prestigious bathroom.
EXTERNAL AREA
The villa is surrounded by a nice 1,190 sqm garden, next to which we can find a rectangular pool with stone-paved solarium. The garden is crossed by stone walkways leading to the house.
USE AND POTENTIAL USES
The villa is perfect as a private residence, given its excellent position granting a quick access to all the necessary services. Alternatively, it is possible to use the villa as a summer residence or rent the building out to tourists.
The word Villa refers to an architectural typology whose meaning has evolved over the centuries. In the Roman Age, the villa was a house built for the upper classes. In the Post Roman Age, villa referred to a sort of village, similar to a fortified and self-sufficient farm whose inhabitants were called "villani" or "villici". It is with the architect and philosopher Leon Battista Alberti and his masterpieces Villa and De re edificatoria that the Villa starts to be considered as a place of pleasure and leisure. In the Renaissance villas, the first example of which is considered Villa Medici in Fiesole, the typically military and defensive features of rustic medieval castles are, for the first time, abandoned. This new conception of villa starts, therefore in Tuscany and, then, spreads to other courts of Italy and Europe. The Palladian villas, built in the sixteenth century in the area of Vicenza and along the Riviera del Brenta, represent examples that remained very influential for over four centuries.
It is very interesting to note how the term "villa" is commonly used in the English language. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, in fact, even in England this new architectural style became fashion and the word "villa" was so officially adopted also by the into English language. In the nineteenth century people began to talk about Villas simply referring to isolated buildings in the countryside, to emphasize the contrast with the houses joined together. This is a brief history of the architectural style protagonist of this portal, the Villa, whether we are talking about a farmhouse converted into a prestigious dwelling, a modern villa, a castle, a Medicean villa or a villa abroad.