Painted Houses of Vasco da Gama

The house, considered to be the former 16th century manor house of Vasco da Gama, was, up until around the early 19th century, decorated in the al fresco style.

The said frescos are to be found in the small oratory and dome shaped loggia overlooking a small garden.

The painting above the oratory’s altar is post 17th century. The only remaining part of the original is the frieze below the altar. The loggia’s frescos comprise a lower frieze, around a metre high, decorated in the “grotesque” style. The frieze is embellished with vegetal coils in combination with winged cherubs and fantastic animals. The upper part has five wall panels decorated with real-life and mythological animals such as hydras, dragons, griffins etc. The dome is adorned with heraldic symbols.

The paintings’ lime coating was removed, in 1975, when several other conservation measures were undertaken. A second intervention took place, ten years later to stabilise the plaster of the paintings which was peeling off from the wall. Conservation work continued, in 1986, and the rest of the lime was removed from the ceiling and walls, in 1989. A biocide for the control of living organisms was applied. All of the above interventions were the work of IPCR.

The upper terrace was covered, in 1999, to avoid damage to the paintings caused by damp. Two years later WMF-Portugal provided assistance on a study which certified that there was no problem over rising damp, suggesting that the damp deriving from a tank behind the loggia be monitored. No problems were detected.