Landmark in Portugal: Castelo da D. Chica

Castelo da D. Chica, Palmeira

Portugal, Braga, Palmeira: 1915 Villa in Eclectic Neo-Romantic Style

Towers, crenellations and pointed arches peek through dense, lush greenery. Yet the urban setting and a closer look reveal that the "Castelo de Dona Chica" is no medieval relic, but rather an eccentric creation of the early 20th century – designed by the Swiss-Portuguese architect Ernesto Korrodi, who saw in this project a deeply personal architectural statement.

This villa, often referred to as a castle, was commissioned in 1915 as a country residence for the couple J. Ferreira do Rego and Francisca Peixoto Rego. Korrodi conceived it in the spirit of the so-called Habitação Nobre de Província – a stylistic movement aimed at offering bourgeois patrons representative, historically inspired residences in the countryside. These noble provincial homes combined medieval and romantic motifs with modern comforts – expressing both rootedness and cosmopolitan flair.

Korrodi drew stylistic inspiration from Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Art Nouveau elements – blending them into a bold, eclectic composition marked by his distinctive signature. Especially striking is the reference to the “Capela do Fundador” at the Monastery of Batalha (“Mosteiro da Batalha”), one of the masterpieces of Portuguese late Gothic architecture. Though the castle was never fully completed – construction halted in 1919 – the original vision remains unmistakable. Despite deviations from Korrodi’s initial plans, the building stands as a remarkable testimony to his creative legacy.

In recent decades, the property became entangled in repeated legal disputes, complicating its preservation. But in 2023, a new chapter began with an approved boutique hotel project – and so, more than a century after its inception, the Castelo de Dona Chica may finally become what it was always meant to be: a vibrant place between past and future, preserved and reimagined.