Heritage Mansions

 Legacy of The Past

One bequest of the long amount of Portuguese settlement that continues to be quite obvious and in everyday use is that the brilliant design of the normal mansions of the Goan upper class. province will maybe claim to be the sole place on the landmass wherever homes qualitative analysis back to the 1700s square measure still in pristine condition and still haunted by generations of the first homeowners.

Unlike the opposite colonial powers in India, the Portuguese managed to go away a far a lot of visible mark on the residential design of the world they dominated. Brits and therefore the French left their mark on the design of giant buildings like assemblies and railway stations that have since become landmarks of the amount.

The Portuguese in province designed residential homes reflective a mode that is hardly found elsewhere on the Indian landmass. These brilliant palatial homes impressed by European style of architecture square measure still found in province these days, though they\'re confined to the agricultural areas like Chandor and Loutolim. associate degree exception is that the business city of Margao, that still has some fabulous homes in its Borda space.

These mansions were inbuilt associate degree era that saw the Portuguese raking during a handsome exploit their mercantilism colonies in Africa and South America. apparently, the homeowners weren\'t typically Portuguese noblemen, however moneyed Goan merchants and upper-level officers United Nations agency were granted land by the Portuguese.

The materials and techniques for the development of such homes was typically native whereas the furnishings and decorations came from all round the world. The walls and pillars were designed of red soil stone and native wood whereas the roof was overlaid with terracotta roof tiles from Mangalore. within there was fine ceramic ware from China and Macao, glassware and mirrors from Venice, chandeliers from European nation and tapestries from Portuguese Republic. The exquisite article of furniture was etched from rosewood by the native craftsmen.

The exterior facade of those mansions isn\'t the sole factor that draws the guests. The interiors square measure way more spectacular, with some homes even having their own mini-chapels and dance rooms. There square measure long, healthy feeding and drawing rooms typically with an impressive assortment of blue china ceramics and glass things.

Most such homes square measure accessible solely on special request or appointment either directly from the owner or through the closest traveller workplace. it\'s additionally best to hunt such a briefing well earlier and it\'s customary to form alittle donation that helps towards the maintenance and maintenance of those excellent specimens of a bygone era.

In this section, you\'ll be able to realize a number of the a lot of noted of the Portuguese vogue mansions which may be visited to own a glimpse of the life-style of the upper echelons of Goan society beneath the Portuguese rule.

Salvador Costa mansion - This mansion in Loutolim, a South province village is legendary for the various giant and delightful homes unfolded during a radius of regarding one kilometre from the nucleus of the village. The Costa mansion was inbuilt the nineteenth century by 2 moneyed siblings and clergymen, Padre Pedrinho and Padre Laurence. inbuilt the Indian vogue (low pitched covered roof, wide verandas) with European accouterments (Gothic- vogue windows, cluster columns), its design straddles each worlds even as province still will.

Solar dos Colacos mansion - is at Ribandar on the locality of the watercourse Mandovi, mid-way between recent province and Panjim. it\'s inbuilt baroque vogue with associate degree imposing facade with a spectacular read of islands and therefore the historical churches of recent province. It is, probably, the sole Goan mansion that faces the watercourse. Typical of the feeling of the days, Nazario Colaco II etched a sideboard of his feeding space with scenes from the Ramayana. however this can be balanced by the strident Christian religion of the family\'s personal chapel.

Pinto DE Rosario mansion - In Porvorim, half-way between Panjim and Mapusa, reflects a lot of the enjoyment of possession than reverence for vogue. accrued in side-boards and cup- boards square measure rare items of cut-glass, silver, blue china, and ivory. The objects d\'art is nevertheless to be classified and dated. however the sheer amount and probably quality of most of the things square measure quite merely astounding with Indo-Portuguese article of furniture and European and Chinese knick- knacks. The Italian floor application is that the highlight of the parlour. higher than the fine etched lounge could be a Dutch tapestry, a duplicate of Rembrandt\'s watch. The love- chair is claimed to be two hundred years recent.

Mascarenhas mansion - in Anjuna, north province is classic owing to its characteristic \'balcoes\'(balconies). it\'s monumental. The wealth overpower you. The seat on the length of the structure square measure formed, of costly wood, the glare is stop with a combination of brilliantly colored glass and, as if to distinction it, light-weight tinted optical glass \"such as that is not any longer made\" with fine floral etchings.

Fernandes House - Fernandes house in Chandor village is one among the oldest remaining palacios in province. Occupied by sara Fernandes and her son Rajeev. The house incorporates a set air of class. the first house, that exhibits a Hindu Influence, was designed some five hundred years past. The portuguese influence is noticeable within the portion of the house made in 1821 by the Fernandes family. there\'s a salon within the story of the building that\'s used for receiving guests. What distinguishes this house from others is its occupants to flee just in case of associate degree attack.

Call: 2784245 for a target-hunting tour on the house.

Vivian Coutinho mansion - in Fatorda at the doorway of Margao reveals the care that went into the design of the doorway of a house. The Coutinhos had a well unbroken garden, the inexperienced pleasantly different the red of the masonry seats. They stony-broke the monotony of the red wash and therefore the outer wall, interspersing ornamental tiles.

Colaco mansion - The passageway runs on the front facade and faces the Mandovi watercourse. this can be the sole existing Goan mansion that faces the city district. The walls square measure washed in ox-blood color, one among the 3 ancient colors of Goan exteriors, the opposite being white (very Portuguese) and indigo (very Indian).

Palacio do Deao - This 213 years recent mansion was designed by a Portuguese noble man, United Nations agency was the Dean of the Church, and founding father of Quepem city. The house faces the Church he designed and is on the banks of the wildly stunning Kushavati watercourse. it\'s inbuilt associate degree uncommon vogue mixing parts of Hindu and Portuguese design. the luxurious gardens that have managed to preserve their historical options and have, since yore, been referred to as the foremost stunning pleasure gardens in province.

Braganza House - situated in Chandor Village, Braganza House was inbuilt the seventeenth century. This vast home is located on one facet of the village sq.. it\'s currently separate homes, with a typical entrance. The east wing occupied by the Pereira-Braganza family, incorporates a tiny chapel with a relie of St. Francis Saint Francis Xavier, that could be a nail. The artefacts collected by the family over variety of years, have another to the wonder of the  house. there\'s a good Salon, an enormous dance hall with the ground product of italian marble antique chanderlier from Europe adorning the ceiling, and heavily etched , ornate rodewood article of furniture. What stands out among the article of furniture could be a try of backed chairs, beating the family crest, that was given to the Perira – Braganza family by King Dom Luis of Portuguese Republic. Most of the article of furniture dates back to the eighteenth Century and is created from native seeso (martel wood), lacquered or decorated with mother of pearl by craftsman from Curtorim Village. For antique aficionados, the house holds several delighful finds. Call: 0832 - 2784227

The west wing of the house belongs to the Menezes braganza family. except for its exquuisite article of furniture and Chinese ceramic ware from Macao, it additionally homes a group of family portraits, qualitative analysis back to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The libbrary is believed to be the primary personal library in province .It has virtually five,000 animal skin certain  books collected by Luis DE Menezes Braganza (1878-1938), a putative journalist, famous for the half he vie in Goa’s freelance movement.  Call: 0832 - 2784201