History : The Douro Region
One of the most beautiful vineyards, 100 kms east of the city of Porto, in Portugal.
The history of the Douro region is closely linked to that of wine. The first traces of a vineyard are going back up to the Bronze Age. As soon as the 13th century, the wine are brought by boat (the Barco Rabello from the Douro valley) to the city of Porto from which it's exported. This activity grows in the 14th century. Then, the particular wine of the region became known as Ports wine in 1675, at a time where the demand is highly superior to the offer. Under the reigns of Jose 1st and of the "Marquis de Pombal", appear the rules that define the wine making in the area. The 10th of September 1756, by a royal decree, the "Compagnie Générale de l'Agriculture des Vignobles du Haut-Douro" is created. Its internal chart regulates the prices and the agricultural methods employed. It also defines the wine quality that should be respected to produce this particular wine. Each domaine is accounted for: the idea of a cadastre is born. As a result, the Douro region is one of the oldest A.O.C. in the world. It's put under the rule of three separate professional offices: the "Casa do Douro", the "C.I.R.D.D." and the I.V.P. (Instituto do Vinhos do Porto). Today, the region is composed of 74,130 acres divided between 26,000 vineyardist.
Tradition related to Ports wine
The Ports wine has its roots in the northern vineyards of Portugal from which it borrows its unique quality. It gets to be known as Ports wine in 1675. History tells us that the English, who bought wine from the Douro region, added alcohol in order to stabilize it, while it was travelling, by boat, to the city of Porto. Ports wine was born.
If you want to know more about the process making that leads to Ports wine, see wines page.
The monastery history
A Cistercian monastery, from the heart of the Douro valley, where legend and savoir faire are mixed together, in a harsh but beautiful region. The monastery finds its origin in a small chapel bearing the same name, founded by an eremite known as Pandulphe, in 987. It is still and located 1 Km away from the actual monastery. Then, the real foundation of this monastery would go back to 1145 when it joined the Cistercian movement. Organized around agriculture and wine making, it ruled over an area that extended up to 70 Kms around. Then, it went through troubled times until the religious revolution that took place in 1834.
After what, it was owned by various and successive persons. Today, known under the name of "Quinta do Convento", its historical name is "Mosteiro Novo de São Pedro Das Aguias". Among the numerous legends that belongs to the monastery, that of Ardinia remains our favorite: Ardinia, daughter of the emir from the city of Lamego, fall in love with Dom Tedon, son of the king Ramiro, who came in the region to fight the Islamic people. As a result, she flees away to convert to the Christian faith but her father, outraged, catch her and cut her head of. To honor her memory, Dom Tedon build a small chapel where she will remain. Then this chapel is located on the monastery's lands.
History : The Douro Region
One of the most beautiful vineyards, 100 kms east of the city of Porto, in Portugal.
The history of the Douro region is closely linked to that of wine. The first traces of a vineyard are going back up to the Bronze Age. As soon as the 13th century, the wine are brought by boat (the Barco Rabello from the Douro valley) to the city of Porto from which it's exported. This activity grows in the 14th century. Then, the particular wine of the region became known as Ports wine in 1675, at a time where the demand is highly superior to the offer. Under the reigns of Jose 1st and of the "Marquis de Pombal", appear the rules that define the wine making in the area. The 10th of September 1756, by a royal decree, the "Compagnie Générale de l'Agriculture des Vignobles du Haut-Douro" is created. Its internal chart regulates the prices and the agricultural methods employed. It also defines the wine quality that should be respected to produce this particular wine. Each domaine is accounted for: the idea of a cadastre is born. As a result, the Douro region is one of the oldest A.O.C. in the world. It's put under the rule of three separate professional offices: the "Casa do Douro", the "C.I.R.D.D." and the I.V.P. (Instituto do Vinhos do Porto). Today, the region is composed of 74,130 acres divided between 26,000 vineyardist.
Tradition related to Ports wine
The Ports wine has its roots in the northern vineyards of Portugal from which it borrows its unique quality. It gets to be known as Ports wine in 1675. History tells us that the English, who bought wine from the Douro region, added alcohol in order to stabilize it, while it was travelling, by boat, to the city of Porto. Ports wine was born.
If you want to know more about the process making that leads to Ports wine, see wines page.
The monastery history
A Cistercian monastery, from the heart of the Douro valley, where legend and savoir faire are mixed together, in a harsh but beautiful region. The monastery finds its origin in a small chapel bearing the same name, founded by an eremite known as Pandulphe, in 987. It is still and located 1 Km away from the actual monastery. Then, the real foundation of this monastery would go back to 1145 when it joined the Cistercian movement. Organized around agriculture and wine making, it ruled over an area that extended up to 70 Kms around. Then, it went through troubled times until the religious revolution that took place in 1834.
After what, it was owned by various and successive persons. Today, known under the name of "Quinta do Convento", its historical name is "Mosteiro Novo de São Pedro Das Aguias". Among the numerous legends that belongs to the monastery, that of Ardinia remains our favorite: Ardinia, daughter of the emir from the city of Lamego, fall in love with Dom Tedon, son of the king Ramiro, who came in the region to fight the Islamic people. As a result, she flees away to convert to the Christian faith but her father, outraged, catch her and cut her head of. To honor her memory, Dom Tedon build a small chapel where she will remain. Then this chapel is located on the monastery's lands.
