The remarkable thing here is that this former country estate contains an Art Deco house without a parallel elsewhere in Portugal. Casa de Serralves lies within Parque de Serralves, in Porto’s Lordelo do Ouro district. The property belonged to Carlos Alberto Cabral, the second Count of Vizela and a figure in the textile industry; after inheriting it in 1923, he commissioned the house.
French architect Charles Siclis created the design, while Portuguese architect Marques da Silva oversaw its realization. Jacques Gréber’s garden scheme dates from 1932, and house and gardens reached completion in 1940 after a series of revisions. The Count finally moved in during 1944, but sold the estate about a decade later.
The sale protected it from alteration, a condition that helped preserve this unusually complete setting. It remained closed to the public until the State acquired it in 1986 and opened it to the city. Since 1996, the whole ensemble has held public-interest heritage status.
Today it belongs to the Serralves Foundation, which also runs the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art. As you stand still, let the thought of that journey sink in: a private industrialist’s retreat has become a public place for art, architecture, gardens, and quiet time. Biblioteca de Serralves is open Monday to Friday, from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 18:00.
.jpg){kind=link}
.JPG){kind=link}