Quinta Do Hospital

Quinta do Hospital is a fully walled property in the Vinho Verde region – sub-region of Monção and Melgaço. It is believed that the lands where it is located were donated by the mother of Dom Afonso Henriques – Countess Dona Teresa de Leão – to the Hospital Order of Saint John of Jerusalem or Order of the Hospital, and were part of the invitation for these “Hospitals” to settle in the County of Portucalense.

The Order of the Hospital was one of the main international institutions of the time and its establishment implied prestige and a strategy to establish an important ally for the autonomous policy that was being developed, contributing to the process of affirmation of the County and its subsequent independence, leading to the formation of Portugal.

In the Middle Ages, hospitals were spaces created with the spirit of helping others, intended to welcome and provide “hospitality” to travelers and especially pilgrims, which contributed to this Quinta becoming a place of “hospital/hospitable” support for pilgrims heading to Santiago de Compostela.

From the 16th century onwards, the quinta passed into the possession of private families, until 2021, the year in which it was acquired by Falua.