The Sibarist

Elegant and minimalist country house in the heart of Portugal

Also avaialble for: Travellers

Description

After two years of restoration, this rural accommodation, which occupies a building formerly dedicated to the production of olive oil and wine, has been converted into a charming country house in the Portuguese village of Monsanto. This historic village of just 800 inhabitants is situated in the rolling Portuguese countryside of Beira Baixa, 25 kilometres from the Spanish border, in a valley suspended from the side of a high hill formed by granite rocks. Monsanto holds the title of “Most Portuguese Village” in a 1938 competition and is on the official list of the 12 “Historical Villages of Portugal”. With the services of a hotel, the accommodation can be fully rented and has its own staff for the reception of guests, cleaning, breakfast and meals. The property is divided into two buildings, the one resulting from the old restored ruins and the new pavilion, connected by a glazed connection. The total area of 680 square metres is divided into two parts: the new main building and the original building, which have 8 rooms for a total capacity of 16 guests. The refurbishment and new construction was carried out by the architectural studio PlataformaArq.

The interior design of this refuge, which fuses Portuguese tradition and contemporary elegance, is the work of its owners, the Italian Stefano Pizzuti and the Portuguese Catarina Santos. Both have been inspired by the wabi-sabi philosophy, which combines simplicity and sophistication, the past and the present.For this reason, the spaces that conserve original elements, such as natural stone, have been given warm textures and natural materials such as wood, natural fibres and cotton.

On the ground floor, where four of the bedrooms are located, there are interconnected meeting spaces such as the living room with an open fireplace, the dining room and the kitchen. On the upper floor, with magnificent views of the surrounding countryside, there are four further bedrooms. In total there are 9 bathrooms. The small bistro offers an indoor and outdoor seating area serving simple Mediterranean and Portuguese cuisine made with seasonal, local and organic ingredients. In addition to serving breakfast, it is open for special events by reservation.

Outside there are five hectares of woodland, unobstructed views of the Serra da Estrela, a saltwater infinity pool with solarium and sun loungers, and a large garden with picnic area. There is also an old olive mill.Activities include swimming in the pool, hiking and trekking, paddle boarding and mountain biking in Penha Garcia, birdwatching, with a wide variety of birds, mushroom picking with guidance and home-grown organic olives.

The accommodation offers breakfast services, free parking, private staff, heating and air conditioning.The accommodation is 2.5 km from Monsanto Castle and St. Michael’s Church is 49 km away.Serra Malcata Nature Reserve and Cases das Naves de Sto. António are less than 20 km away.The nearest airport is Badajoz Airport, 251 km away.

For more detailed information, we invite you to visit our 5 star section, which you will find further down on this page, after the images.