Built in the 16th century to be one of the main palaces of the Conde do Redondo , it was a hostel for the allied commands during the French invasions , having played an essential role in the defense of Amarante and the access road to Porto . However, on the third day of the battle, the building was destroyed by fire.
It was later acquired and rebuilt by the Pereira do Lago family. It served as a meeting point for politicians and intellectuals in the 20th century. In 2001, it was fully recovered and, in November 2003, it became part of the renowned hotel chain Relais & Châteaux .
History
In 1473 , the Counts of Redondo received the Municipality of Gouveia de Riba Tâmega as a donation, and its charter was granted in 1513 by King Manuel . During the first quarter of the 16th century , construction began on the defense tower of Ponte de Amarante , intended to collect tolls, and on the Palaces of the Counts of Redondo, Paço and Casa da Calçada. In a topographical representation of the old Ponte de Amarante , which collapsed in February 1763 , there is the Casa da Calçada.
During the Second French Invasion , in April 1809, Portuguese and English commands were installed in Casa da Calçada, and its strategic location contributed to the decisive success of the troops of General Francisco da Silveira and Marshal General Wellesley . However, the House would end up on fire due to the bombing of Napoleonic troops led by Marshal Soult .
In the 19th century , during the 1920s , Casa da Calçada was purchased by the Lago Cerqueira family, who carried out the restoration work on the main building and annexes. Subsequently, an illustrious descendant, António do Lago Cerqueira, after the second fire that the House suffered in 1916 , restored Casa da Calçada, maintaining its Baroque style , while still associating elements of early 20th century neoclassicism . António do Lago Cerqueira, was the first Mayor of Amarante, shortly after the establishment of the Portuguese Republic , in 1910 . He distinguished himself as a politician, becoming a friend of Afonso Costa ,Bernardino Machado and António Maria da Silva , and held the post of deputy, becoming Minister of Labor and Foreign Affairs.
He later left Portugal for political reasons and went to Paris where he attended the Viticulture and Winemaking Course at the Institut National Agronomique, where he gave some lectures. He authored the conference “Les vins du Portugal - Le vin de Porto” in 1929. Amnestied in 1932, he returned to Casa da Calçada, where he began the production of Wines and Spirits from Caves da Calçada, which achieved great success and were even exported for Brazil and the Portuguese Overseas Colonies. During World War II, Casa da Calçada welcomes distinguished exiles, such as the Austrian princess Steinberg, and other friends from the time lived in Paris. António do Lago Cerqueira would, however, die in 1945 a few months after the war ended.
Casa da Calçada remains unoccupied from that moment on and is later bought by António Manuel Mota, who starts with his children the project to restore Casa da Calçada and transform it into an Inn, recovering its Gardens and the respective Vineyard, resuming the production of quality Vinhos Verdes, as it exists today."
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