Un primer acercamiento a la Quinta Nova da Assunção en Sintra

Abstract

Abierta recientemente al público, la Quinta Nova da Assunção, actualmente propiedad de la Câmara Municipal de Sintra, constituye uno de los ejemplos más vistosos y opulentos de la vivienda finisecular sintrense. Construida por José María da Silva Rego, -heredero de una enorme fortuna familiar proveniente de exitosos y acaudalados negocios con el Brasil- fue consagrada a su mujer Maria da Assunção Vieira. Tras su inauguración el 15 de agosto de 1863, fecha coincidente con en el día de Nossa Senhora de Assunção, se convertirá en una de las Quintas más exóticas y reputadas de la villa. La presente disertación pretende arrojar luz sobre un conjunto poco estudiado, sobre el cual apenas existe bibliografía crítica. Se trata de una obra injustamente tratada que, en cierta medida, ha quedado “diluida” en la profusa caterva de palacios y mansiones erigidas en la sierra y alrededores a lo largo de todo el S. XIX.

Quinta Nova da Assunçao, newly open for public visit, belongs nowadays to the Sintra's Council, and represents one of the most gorgeous and lushful examples of Sintra's end of the century estates. The construction was ordered by Jose Maria da Silva Rego, -heir to a huge family fortune from substantial and successful businesses in Brazil- and it was consecrated to his wife Maria da Assunçao Vieira. After its opening on August 15th, 1863, it will become one of the most exotic and renowned Quintas of the area. This paper aims at the analysis of a little studied complex, which has been widely ignored in the critical bibliography on the topic. We are in front of an unfairly ignored work, that remained almost forgotten under the vast number of palaces and mansions erected on Sintra and its surroundings during XIX century.