Doesn’t the name Casa da Botica Velha intrigue you? This cluster of buildings stands as a testament to bygone eras. Let’s delve into the story of this place. Casa da Botica Velha was originally known as Casa da Ponte. This translates to House of the Bridge.
Casa da Botica Velha is found in the parish of Carvalhosa, in Paços de Ferreira. The oldest surviving structure is a rural house. It dates back to 1701. A splendid Baroque-style portico was added in the first half of the 18th century.
Why the name ‘Botica’? In the 19th century, one of its buildings housed a community pharmacy. Back then, pharmacies were called “Boticas”.
Casa da Botica Velha sits along an old route. It’s the road from Porto to Lousada. This is now known as the EN209. The Casa’s original name, Casa da Ponte, came from a bridge nearby. This bridge, the Ponte Joanina, was built during the reign of King João V.
Around 1930, a new bridge was built over the Carvalhosa River. This new bridge was better suited for cars. The Ponte Joanina became a crossing only for pedestrians. The road’s path was altered, cutting through the Casa’s lands.
The Brandão family likely built Casa da Botica Velha. They owned most of the surrounding land. The land was fertile because of the nearby Carvalhosa River.
The portico is Casa da Botica Velha’s most recognizable feature. It was built in the Baroque style in the 1700s. Manuel Fernandes da Silva designed it. He was a master builder from the Douro and Minho regions. A Brandão family prelate commissioned it. At the time, Ferreira was part of the Diocese of Braga. The portico is symmetrical. It’s made entirely of granite. Four pillars support it. An arch sits beneath a broken pediment. The family’s coat of arms is displayed. At the top is a cross and vases adorn the inner columns.
The coat of arms is ecclesiastical. A hat tops a helmet. Twelve tassels flank the shield. The shield is quartered. It displays symbols of the Teixeira, Barros, Correia, and Brandão families. Originally, the entrance to the Casa’s grounds was through this portico. It had a wooden gate.
Over the centuries, Casa da Botica Velha changed hands. Inheritances, divisions, and sales reduced its size. Other “rich” farmhouses were built nearby. These were constructed later than Casa da Botica Velha. They probably date from the mid-19th to early 20th centuries.
Two hundred years after its initial construction, the pharmacy was gone. Caretakers farmed the land. Written records from before this time are scarce.
From 1942 to the 1960s, Armindo Martins farmed the land. He was a veteran of World War I. He and his wife, Elvira Alves de Sousa, lived elsewhere.
The Casa’s lands once stretched to the vicinity of the Chapel of S. Gonçalo. A water mine there fed the property. Open aqueducts carried water to a large irrigation tank. The street that bordered this land is still called Rua das Cales. The aqueduct ran underground to cross Rua de Aldozinde before reaching the Casa.
By 1975, the buildings were almost in ruins. The portico remained intact. This was due to its sturdy construction. Today, Casa da Botica Velha stands as a reminder of the past. It evokes images of family, farming and faith.