Villa Portela was built in a Swiss style by Roberto Charters Henriques d’Azevedo in 1894.

Made up of a vast garden area and an eighteenth-century chalet, back when it was built it was a kind of picturesque enclave on the outskirts of Leiria.

The passing of time has made Villa Portela one of the most iconic historical buildings in the city’s most affluent neighbourhoods.

The villa’s importance, as well as its owners’ desire for the property to be enjoyed by the locals, led to the municipality acquiring it in 2017 in order to turn it into an Arts Centre, which is currently being designed.

In July 2019, Villa Portela was classified as a monument of Municipal interest because “it is a culturally valuable historical and architectural asset to the municipality of Leiria, serving as a testament to the experiences of a family backed up by historical facts embodied in the collective memory of the city of Leiria – a unique specimen in the city’s urban fabric.”

In April 2022, work begins on the rehabilitation, requalification, restoration, and conservation project, with the goal of converting it into an Arts Center, and is expected to be completed in October 2023.

LOCATION
> Largo da República
> GPS: 39º44’28.241″N | 8º48’35.078″W
> How to get there: https://bit.ly/2mavXu9