Villa Sessetti
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VILLA SASSETTI

The first proprietor of the estate was the successful hotelier Victor Carlos Sassetti (1851-1915), who commissioned his friend and great architect Luigi Manini, the designer of Quinta da Regaleira, to build here his summer residence. Construction lasted between 1890 and 1894. Over the decades following Sassetti's death the house and estate has undergone various stages of alterations and restorations. Today it has UNESCO heritage status. Recent enhancements have opened up the estate as part of the walking route between Sintra old town, the Moorish Castle and Pena Palace. As part of opening the grounds to the public, there was an addition of a cafeteria and toilets as well as reviving the house exterior and resuscitate the gardens.

ABOUT VILLA SASSETTI

Anjos Villa Sessetti

Villa Sassetti Gardens

The House

The most striking feature of the house is the central circular tower. It spans three floors from where the other rooms sprout out from. The exterior is faced with local granite and topped with terracotta roofing. When Manini designed the villa, he used the castles of Lombardy, Northern Italy, as his inspiration, giving Villa Sassetti a somewhat Romanesque appearance. At the time of writing, restoration of the interior is ongoing and remains closed to the public.


The Gardens

A walking route snakes through the gardens, covering 12,000m2. Manini cleverly utilised natural aesthetic themes and man-made structures that blend harmoniously into the landscape. An artificial watercourse crisscrosses the path. Although the walk up the hill is quite steep, the path leading to and from Pena Palace is an option many prefer to take. Regardless of which path you direction you choose, your efforts will be well rewarded by the stunning views awaiting you along the way.

High season 10h00 – 18h00, Low season 09h00 – 17h00