%b%crOld Village Atmosphere%b%c* and other Vila Nogueira de Azeitão, Portugal Things to Do Tips

Azeitao is a small little village, often not visited as much as the much larger Setubal. There are some wonderful old villas and great architecture in some of the historic buildings. There are also some palaces in the area.

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Address: Vila Nogueira de Azeitão

With its location being at the foot of the Serra da Arrabida, there is a big attraction for cyclists and those who enjoy an energetic walk. The surrounding land around the village is filled with olive groves and cork trees not to mention pinewoods.

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Address: Vila Nogueira de Azeitão

In the main street of Azeitao is the Fountain of Pasmados (Chafariz dos Pasmados) which was constructed between 1764 and 1777 in a baroque style. There is a legend to this fount which states that anyone who drinks from this fountain will be tied to the town forever.

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Address: Rua José Augusto Coelho, Vila Nogueira de Azeitão

St Laurence Church has very little left of its original Gothic appearance and now appears very plain. Inside the church there are 18th century panels which tell the story of old testament scenes. There are some still of the 16th century. The most appealing part of the main chapel is the altar. There are gold leaf carvings from the 17th century as well as a canvas painting of the last supper.

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Address: Vila Nogueira de Azeitão

Right in the middle of town is this well known and respected winery has been in business and run by the family since 1834 making it the oldest company in the country which still produces table wines and of course the Setubal Moscatel wine.

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Address: Rua José Augusto Coelho 11, Azeitao

The main building of the winery is a 19th century renovated mansion which was the Fonseca family residence. The Museum shows a lot of old paintings as well as the vintage winemaking equipment which was used during the early years of the winery.

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Address: Rua José Augusto Coelho 11, Azeitao

As you enter the main reception you will be greeted by your guide and taken through the little museum which shows the history of the winery. Guided tours are available from Mon-Sun 10.00am – 12.15pm and 2.00pm to 5.30pm. You can get tours in English, French, Spanish and of course Portuguese.

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Address: Rua José Augusto Coelho 11, Azeitao

There are walkways with beautiful gardens adorned statues and fountains which take you through a tranquil area of the property.

Gardens are open Tues – Sat 9.00am – 5.00pm

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Address: Fonseca Vinhos, Rua José Augusto Coelho 11

The winery was started in 1850 by Jose Maria da Fonseca. Jose was born in the Dao wine region and moved to this region after graduating in mathematics from Coimbra University. His father, a wealthy tobacco trader bought some land for him and at just 30 years of age, he began his winery business and was to become an innovator in both cultivating his vines to converting from the old standards of marketing casks to using glass bottles.

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Address: Rua José Augusto Coelho 11, Azeitao

Jose was honoured by King Pedro V for his achievements when he received the highest medal in Portugal in 1857. He died in 1884 at the age of 80. The winery today still remains a family run business and covers more than 1.000 hectares. They have become the leading producers of a sweet dessert wine known as Moscatel de Setubal.

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Address: Fonseca Vinhos, Rua José Augusto Coelho 11