Monte Cabeça Gorda

A small 3ha property, is situated south of the village of Alcáçovas, no farther than 1Km away. The flat lands, where shepherds graze their sheep among centuries old olive trees, are evidence for the character and the bucolic idea we have of the Alentejo. Here the silence is ubiquitous, only to be interrupted by the purring of a tractor doing agricultural tasks or the bleating of the sheep, which, attentive and thoughtfully, graze on a land where time seems to stand still. The colours, dominated by greens in the winter and yellows in the summer, underline and change the landscape, conferring on it a different “character” according to the season. The House, over two hundred years old, has for long been an oil press, and at a given time (we don’t know exactly when, it was enlarged, becoming one of the buildings of the living area amidst other agriculture supporting buildings. Thus a lodging was built next to the press, which probably served as the residence for those in the oil press business, and later was joined by a wealthy agricultural house. Attached to the house, there is an extremely important object standing out: the oven. With a ceramic vault, luckily still in a well conserved state, it’s almost a sculptural element appearing to beg for being used. It probably was not only the house’s oven, but also used by those who lived and laboured in the area, being communally used, as was the habit of the people who lived here. It’s important to call attention to the imposing gate, which is now the pedestrian entry to the real estate. It’s almost ecclesiastical bearing has nothing to do with the place it gives access to. We never found the reason for such an austere and “religious” element, neither why it displays a gazed tile dating from the XVIII century in the front, representing a Virgin and a cross on the top. This is no doubt a historical mystery which, for the time being, remains unsolved. The old animal shelters have been transformed into comfortable double rooms, for two persons each, all of them equipped with heating and a private bathroom. You can access to the swimming pool’s terrace directly from the rooms, as well as to a small outer living area. As for the agricultural house, today outdated by modern technology, it has been occupied by four apartments for four people, each having a double room, a living room with a kitchenette and a bathroom. Furthermore, each apartment also has an almost private outer living area, from where you can go directly to the swimming pool. The outer spaces, as well as the house, are fundamentally dedicated to free time activities. The swimming pool terrace allows pleasant moments of fun or total tranquillity, during the day or the summer nights, acting as a promontory from where you can enjoy the typical landscape of the Alentejo. The oven’s terrace invites everyone to meet here, promoting pleasant outside meals.