Condes de Castro Guimaraes Museum

Explore this century-old Mediterranean and Arabian-style mansion that still houses its original furniture, striking azulejos and a private art collection.

The Condes de Castro Guimarães Museum (Museu Condes Castro Guimarães) is located in an opulent mansion with a unique design. Explore the rooms, which still contain most of the original furniture, see its patio fountain and browse its art collection.

Upon completion in 1902, the stately palace-like building was called Torre de Sao Sebastiao (Tower of Saint Sebastiao), after the 17th-century St. Sebastiao chapel opposite it. The house was commissioned by an Irish millionaire, Jorge O’Neill, an aristocrat friend of King Carlos I of Portugal. O’Neill asked Raul Lino, one of the most respected Portuguese architects at the time, to design his new home.

O’Neill, who had made a fortune by importing tobacco, became bankrupt a decade later and sold the house to Count Manuel de Castro Guimarães, a wealthy banker. Guimarães put his own stamp on it and added the patterns of painted tin-glazed ceramic tiles to the mansion’s exterior. The count died in 1927 and left the house to the people of Cascais, on the condition that it would serve as a museum and library.

Note how the mansion combines a typical Mediterranean style with clear Moorish influences, such as arches and turrets. Once inside, admire the Indo-Portuguese furniture and browse the collection of sculptures, 17th-century porcelain from China’s Qing Dynasty and Oriental silk tapestries.

Look up at the lavish decorations in the music room, where walls of azulejos (Portuguese-style ceramic tiles), complement the highly ornate ceiling. In the library, don’t miss the illustrated manuscript with the chronicles of Alfonso Henriques, Portugal’s first king. The 16th-century book by Duarte Galvão actually displays the first known color image of Lisbon with its castle.

Entry to the Condes de Castro Guimarães Museum is free of charge. The museum is open daily except Mondays and closes for lunch hour on the weekends. Allow yourself half an hour for a visit. On a sunny day, explore the surrounding Jardim Marechal Carmona, officially known as Gandarinha Park. The mansion has great views of the Santa Marta lighthouse at the coastal end of the rocky inlet.