Located in Alentejo, a mere 2 kilometres from Estremoz, a city filled with historic monuments, MONTE DOS PENSAMENTOS with its Moorish-inspired architecture, is reminiscent of a mosque with its arcades, porches and minarets. Adapted in the 18th century from two typical rural houses, this house was remodelled in the 1930s by the architect Raul Lino, at a time when it was already being used as a hunt
ing pavilion by the family of the current owner, Cristóvão Andresen Leitão. Ruben Andresen Leitão (Cristóvão’s father), his 12 cousins and his Aunt Olga’s widower (co-owners of MONTE DOS PENSAMENTOS), inherited the house. Ruben decided to buy out his cousins and his uncle by marriage and to do this he had to sell a collection of important documents and memorabilia relating to King Pedro V (whom he considered the first modern king of Portugal) and a valuable set of dining rooms chairs from the Monte which he had also inherited. Christopher still remembers weekends with his parents when he and his siblings were warned not to sit on the chairs, which were about to be sold. When Ruben A. took over the house in 1966, he was already an established writer. During his years in post-war London, as a lecturer at King’s College, he met many artists, among them the sculptors Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth, the writers Rosamond Lehman and T. Later, back in Portugal, writers such as Miguel Torga and Ruben’s cousin Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen, the painters Manuel Cargaleiro and Menez and other contemporary artists and intellectuals made MONTE DOS PENSAMENTOS a meeting point of like-minded people. After his death in 1975 MONTE DOS PENSAMENTOS experienced a time of relative decline until 1986 when inspired by the attractive pousadas in Paratí, south of Rio de Janeiro, Christopher decided to make MONTE DOS PENSAMENTOS his home and adapt a large part of the house for rural tourism. The house is decorated with the antiques he inherited from his father and a great collection of 19th century plates in faience. It skilfully combines the influence of rural taste with the comfortable decoration of English country houses, no doubt due to the fact that Christopher’s mother was English and contributed to the undertaking. The ambience in winter is wonderful, with the great open fireplace in the guest lounge, warming the cold nights. In summer, with the good weather, you can enjoy the fresh air of the gardens surrounding the house, which lead to the swimming pool set by a great expanse of lawn. In the morning sit down to a delicious breakfast which will encourage you to go on long walks in the estate’s 20 hectares: visit the orange and lemon grove, learn to distinguish the bitter orange tree, stroll through the olive trees or else sit back and relax on the grass and enjoy the delights of nature. On warm evenings sit outside and savour the silence and the sense of freedom as you sip a cold glass of wine under the shining moon. You will be given a convivial and informal welcome. The rooms, suites and apartments, all with en-suite bathroom, are decorated simply but tastefully, maintaining all the comfort and essence of rural environments. The apartments are spacious and have a wood-burning fire and a kitchenette. They were designed to accommodate whole families. Monte dos Pensamentos is ideal for children. Far from the hustle and bustle of city life, they can discover the secrets of nature whilst playing hide and seek, riding bicycles, walking the dog or watching the sheep...
For fresh air fiends we can organise walks (Parque Natural de S. Mamede has several), mountain bike rides , (we have bicycles for guests’ use and there are cycle paths and eco-paths in Évora and Mora, and tracks in Serra d’Ossa, for example, between Estremoz, Borba and Redondo), riding (there are stables nearby), tennis, 4x4 safaris! A few kilometres away there are dams (such as Alqueva) and riverside beaches where you can fish, hire a canoe and wind-surf. Engine-powered rafts, boats and boathouses can be rented and you can even go on a river cruise. A delightful way to observe nature and see the local fauna and flora.
