and royalty

SITUATED IN BEIRA ALTA, Santar has the discreet charm of a countryside village, known for its wine farms, owned by the same families for centuries. Not an obvious destination for weekends or holidays in Portugal – except for wine experts. Thanks to projects like Valverde Santar Hotel & Spa, it is now on the bucket list of everyone who enjoys staying in manor houses with a royal past, going for long walks in the vineyards and ancient gardens and tasting high quality wines.

Royalty

Santar was known for a long time as Cortes da Beira –the elected place for aristocrats to gather when in Beira.

It was a village that housed many noble families who owned wine farms there for centuries and used to visit frequently to host or attend family reunions or simply to get away from the city stress.

Until this day, you hear people say: “This was the Marquess’s favourite flower” and you get the feeling that people felt respected by the ‘royals’, some of whom went on to choose to make their country house their permanent home.

That is also the story behind Casa das Fidalgas, one of the most relevant Santar farmhouses, with four hectares of vineyards and three of gardens.

The house was built in the 17th century and, after many generations and various changes, in 1975 its owner – Pedro Brum da Silveira Pinto – donated the farm to the

Portuguese royal house representatives: D. Duarte Pio (who would now be king if Portugal was a monarchy) and his brother, D. Miguel de Bragança, Duque the Viseu.

D. Miguel lived in the house right until Valverde Living Group decided to restore it into a charming 21-room boutique hotel. Casa das Fidalgas – as it is still known in Santar –has now emerged as Valverde Santar Hotel & Spa. All the necessary work (the house was in real need of help) was carried out according to the original plan, with due regard for the history involved.

I will tell an episode that totally reflects the locals’ involvement with the house: During the beautiful opening party (attended by the Portuguese ‘royal family’), I was admiring the dining room and a young gentleman, probably in his 30s, entered and, quite overwhelmed by his surroundings, told me: “I used to play here as a child. We called this the dishes room because the ceiling was always decorated with dishes of different sizes and patterns, I am so glad they kept it as it was!” The dishes are still there for all to enjoy.

Wine

The interior of the house has been kept as close as possible to the original design – all the 21 rooms invite the guests to enjoy different moods – and the outside remains as amazing as it always was.

The four hectares of vineyards are now used to produce Memórias, the wine served at the hotel’s restaurant and also available to buy to take home. And along the walk through the vineyards a new belvedere can be spotted – not only used as a viewpoint but also as a serene wooden structure for meditation or yoga practices.

Dão is one of the oldest wine regions in Portugal. Douro and Alentejo may be better known but Dão is having a come back and a renewed reputation as a fabulous terroir for high-quality wines.

Casa de Santar, the most famous winery in the region, is an absolute must. A tasting in lthe winery, which is open for visits, is irresistible, but unbeatable, too, is the moment when you sit by the Valverde Santar’s stunning pool – made of stone and in keeping with the spirit of the property –with a glass of Dão wine in hand, listening to the quiet noise of nature.

Apart from the pool area, there is also the amazing upstairs covered terrace, ideal for a late breakfast or a glass of wine to welcome the evening.

For a healthy start of the day, besides going for an easy run or a relaxing walk and making the most of the beautiful setting, you could choose to book an hour in the wonderful spa, built where the old winery used to be and given a comfortable barn-like rustic feel. There’s an indoor pool, too, for those who want to swim in a warm environment, or if there is a chill outside.

The pretty scenario, the immaculate renovation, the excellent wines... add to a special environment and a personality that makes you feel – even if your are just staying for a couple of nights – that you are part of Santar’s history.

But what makes everything even more precious is, as always, the people. Mainly made up of locals, the staff are nicer than nice, but more than that: they are proud. Proud that a house that belongs to their village gets to be grand again. Proud that Santar is finally in the map for national and international tourists. Proud that they get to be a part of it.

Roses

So we have a historic mansion house, we have top wine production... what would be perfect to complete the idyllic scenario? Flowers, of course. Gardening has always been a common hobby when we have time in our hands – like aristocratic ladies used to have – and flowers are the natural complement to a noble house’s special character.

One of Santar’s fascinating initiatives is Santar Vila Jardim, a simple concept that brings together many of the village’s gardens. Since 2020, it is possible, for around €15, to enjoy a tour of several of Santar’s gardens, with a guide to show you around, or by yourself with directions and information provided.

The idea is to go from house to house, being surprised and enchanted at every step by the beauty and care of Santar’s English and French gardens.

Besides Valverde Santar’s own three hectare gardens, with their old trees and fountains, the next door neighbours – Casa dos Condes de Santar – responsible for creating and developing the project, have the most amazing collection of roses – the late countess’s favourite flower – with many different species from around the world.

Santar Vila Jardim is the living proof that when neighbours work together with a shared purpose beautiful things can happen. Gates were opened, walls came down and the heritage of the entire village was protected and cherished.

The Spanish landscape architect Fernando Caruncho was the one responsible for bringing it all together, caring for the historic background but defining a route through the different gardens and making them ‘speak’ the same language.

But what makes this visit an unforgettable one is so much more than the amazing gardens – although they are a good enough reason in themselves – is seeing what can be achieved when people work together and share a common goal. Doors are literally opened when one values what the other one, living next door, has or does.

And that is Santar’s big lesson. In a world so sadly divided, where too many people mistake isolation for privacy, this village near Viseu is so proud of its roots that it wants everyone to appreciate, share and enjoy what they have: authenticity, family values, total respect for nature and its own time. Theirs is an example to learn from and follow, in every sense.

Also exemplary is the way that Valverde Living group understood that more than buying Casa das Fidalgas to turn into a luxury hotel, they had to involve the whole village and – again – not close the gates.

The house is charming, the attention to every single detail a reality, but what makes it so special is that its soul was kept intact, not only because nothing was taken away – just improved – but because you sense the eagerness of everyone who welcomes you there. The result? You love this place as much as they (and their fathers and grandfathers) do.