THE HOUSE
Features
2 rooms available to rent with brunch included
Shared bathroom with shampoo & soap
Linnen sheets and bath towels provided
Beach towels provided
Free internet (no TV but lots of dvd movies)
Toys & books for kids and adults
Terrace and garden shared
Washing machine available (extra charge)
Bedroom 1
Bedroom 2
HISTORY
Since 1913
In 1913 Vila Judite stood ready to be the holiday home of Dona Judite Calheiros and her husband, Senhor Caetano Alves. When they married, Senhor Caetano Alves was already close to 60 and Dona Judite was not yet 30. She had been (unhappily) married before and had two daughters, and she and Senhor Alves later had a son, whom they called Caetano - or ‘Caetaninho’.
Senhor Caetano Alves had the house built with his dear wife in mind, Dona Judite. There is another house very much like this, though not identical, in the surroundings of Sintra, and that might explain why Vila Judite is very English in its style and has no trace of the region of Minho in it - Sintra used to be a resting place for Englishmen in the XIX century.
Caetano Alves owned a fleet of ‘bacalhoeiros’ (fishing boats used entirely for fishing cod, which you will know from the menus by the name of ‘bacalhão'), and his warehouse in Lisbon was what is known today as the iconic building ‘Casa dos Bicos’, today housing the José Saramago Museum. He was a freemason, and during the First Republic he was a deputy - and he managed to become president of the Council of Covas.
Senhor Caetano Alves had his origin in Covas. Here he owned a large agriculture 'quinta’ - farm - where he employed a great many people. Every Christmas he presented each family with a whole codfish, and legend has it that the size of the cod the workers varied considerably, for the height of each head of family decided the length of the gifted codfish. One poor farmer, who had 10 children, was a tiny man, so despite his numerous family, he always got the smallest fish.
Many stories are told about Dona Judite and her son, Caetaninho. They both played the piano that used to be in the house, and they played on the veranda - (which much later had to be taken down) - so that that the workers could enjoy the music while working and thus have their hard labour alleviated. People around here have always remembered them with warm feelings for having provided them with work - and much more.
On an old photo we can see that Vila Judite originally had two front doors: one for the use of family and friends, one for the freemason to enter when they gathered in Vila Judite.
For all the floors in the rooms and salons, Senhor Caetano used boards of Riga pinewood, which were all taken from the masts of his old fishing boats. Also the doors, windows, (foot)panels and banisters are made of the same durable wood. The major part of it is painted white and the walls have a light colour, just like it was in 1913.
The windows are large; all doors open up in two, and the ventilation creates a pleasant temperature indoors, even on a hot summer´s day. The majority of the ‘azulejos’ and the floor tiles was produced for export, mainly to Brasil. All the bathroom hardware is of excellent quality porcelain, beautifully painted and decorated in the Devesa's factory - and it is all very gracious in combination with the azulejos, which are of a different kind.
The drawing rooms (‘salas’) are big, and the smaller rooms can be turned into bigger rooms by opening the double doors between them. Vila Judite has two storeys, so it is a holiday house for quite a big family. But it is much cosier than it is pretentious, and also children must have always felt at ease in Vila Judite - just as they do today.
Vila Judite was made with a lot of love for the personality that was Dona Judite’s. You may find out more of her rather dramatic story from the time before she married Senhor Caetano Alves, in case you are interested. We can sense her personality when we are strolling through the house. What a great atmosphere it creates for us and for our guests!
We who live here are the privileged owners of a house that we love, and we feel we have the obligation not to alter this very special little corner, created with so much love and care more than a hundred years ago.
Welcome!