Mateus Palace was built in the 18th century and is considered a masterpiece of Baroque architecture in Portugal. The author of the phenomenal design was the Italian architect Nicolau Nasoni. The estate was famous all over the world for placing its image on the 'Mateus Rosé' wine label. The garden surrounding the residence captivates with a spectacular cedar tunnel of nearly 35 meters in length.
The interior of the palace impresses with intricately carved wooden ceilings and valuable furnishings of rooms from several eras. The collection is completed by phenomenal Chinese and Portuguese porcelain and silver. The residence is also the seat of the library, which collections contain nearly 6,000 copies. The pearl of the book collection is one of the first illustrated editions of Luís Vaz de Camões' Os Lusíadas, which is the most important Portuguese epic work.
The 'Mateus Rosé' wine was created by Fernando Van Zeller Gedes in 1942. The palace was never owned by a family of winemakers, so Gedes had to pay for the rights to use the image. Residence owners preferred to receive a one-time license fee instead of the imposed sales margin. Their decision was unfortunate, because so far over a billion bottles of this drink have been sold all over the world.
Attractions inside
