luxury houses with terrace for sale Castelo Rodrigo, Portugal

With 22 hectares of pure natural and architectural beauty, this idyllic property in the Guarda region houses a Cistercian Monastery of incalculable historical value. Classified as a Monument of National Interest, its origins date back to the mid-12th century, when it hosted a primitive community of Benedictine monks or hermits. In the 1170s, the community embraced the Cistercian Order, driving the construction of the imposing complex we know today. The Monastery, predominantly Romanesque and Gothic, exhibits the refined characteristics of the primitive Romanesque on its facade. Among its notable architectural elements, the Chapter House stands out: simple and elegant, it is topped by three pointed arch archivolts resting on smooth abaci and embedded colonnettes, finished with capitals featuring delicate vegetal motifs. Being the second most important dependency after the church, the Chapter House is a living testament to the grandeur of the era. Currently, the Monastery building requires a total restoration project, offering enormous rehabilitation potential. The Guesthouse adjacent to the Monastery was once intended for ecclesiastical visitors and laymen of the high nobility. With a quadrangular facade and rectangular windows, the building is enhanced by a balcony with stone columns, facing South and West. Between the gate and the balcony, a coat of arms dating from 1704 bears the weapons of the Cistercian Order. Subject to a meticulous and careful restoration completed in 1997, this building has all the conditions for a Boutique Hotel / Manor House Tourism unit. It thus maintains the noble tradition of hospitality started in the 12th century, when it welcomed pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. The main building is distributed over two functional and welcoming floors: Floor 1: Entrance hall; Living room with fireplace and bar area; Dining room with fireplace; 2 spacious suites; Fully equipped kitchen; Laundry and storage area. Floor 2: 9 suites; 1 independent apartment (comprising suite, living room, and kitchenette); Solid wood-paneled library with a fireplace; Monumental stone balcony (classified monument), exquisitely converted into a dining room. All furniture and decoration are included in the sale. Outside, the guesthouse is embraced by a garden with a swimming pool, complemented by a support bathhouse with a Turkish bath. The housing complex also features 3 completely independent suites, with direct access to the outside, ensuring total privacy for guests. Additionally, next to the Monastery, there are old buildings (former stables) with excellent conversion viability. The morphology of the property is completely flat, blessed with a remarkable abundance of water — visible in the historic fountain next to the Monastery and the stream that crosses the land. To the North, it has a lush green meadow and a multi-centennial oak forest.