The Mansion at Mouzinho da Silveira Street, in Lisbon, Portugal

Abstract

The present article is about the history of a house, more precisely the Mansion at no. 5, Mouzinho da Silveira Street, Lisbon (Portugal), which was once the residence of Amélia Leite Ferreira, a wealthy lady from the upper bourgeoisie. The house was constructed at the end of the nineteenth century, in the Barata Salgueiro Neighborhood, a place that was at that time being urbanized. It was designed in a late nineteenth century eclectic style, but was modified over time, mainly in the interior, to be repurposed as headquarters of the Portuguese Wine and Vineyard Institute. Besides trying to know who Amelia Leite Ferreira was, the questions that we wish to address in this article are precisely how is this building a significant example of the small palaces or mansions that were erected for the bourgeoisie in the newly urbanized areas of Lisbon? Being a house of a rich widow woman, does this have influence in the architecture of the house and its interior decoration? Is this mansion style typical of Portuguese and Lisbon architecture or does this typology can be found in other cities in the same period? Finally, how did the occupation by a public institution affected its architecture? As we will see, this house architecture is mainly typical of the Belle Époque, but the influence of the owner was important for its design, furniture, and decoration. We will also realize that, even though the house is still very similar to its original construction, the transformation from a residence to an institution had impact, especially in its internal structure.