Casa Sommer

Casa Sommer, Cascais
Location within Portugal
Established 2016 (2016)
Location Av. da República, 132, Cascais, Portugal
Coordinates 38°41′42″N 9°25′26″W / 38.6949°N 9.4239°W / 38.6949; -9.4239Coordinates: 38°41′42″N 9°25′26″W / 38.6949°N 9.4239°W / 38.6949; -9.4239

Casa Sommer (The Sommer House), the former residence of an entrepreneur, Henrique Sommer, functions as the Municipal Historical Archive of the town of Cascais in Lisbon District, Portugal. It also has space on two floors for occasional exhibitions related to the history of Cascais.

The house was constructed at the end of the 19th Century. It is considered the most important example of a neoclassical private residence in Cascais. The exterior features smooth and curved pediments, fluted pilasters, and triglyphs. The main façade features a rectangular portico, which frames the entrance and creates the balcony on the second floor, which is protected by a balustrade. [1]

Casa Sommer, Exhibition and documentation centre in Cascais, Portugal

After it ceased to be a family home the house was for a time used as a language school and then a children's home,[2] before falling into disrepair for a time. It was then restored by the Municipality of Cascais and officially opened on 7 December 2016. The work, led by the architect Paula Santos, which also included the building’s old coach house, succeeded in adding considerable internal floor space. It included construction of a new underground corridor linking the main building to the coach house, which now houses the Municipal Historical Archive.[1]

On display is the restored Foral of Cascais, which was a royal document signed by Manuel I of Portugal whose purpose was to establish a town or village Council and regulate its administration, borders and privileges. A community would need a Foral in order to function as a town. The second oldest book is the Livro de Posturas (Book of Regulations), which recorded the town's rules and regulations.[3]

Casa Sommer also runs the Municipal Library of Cascais, where it is possible to obtain publications supported by the municipality, with special emphasis on the town's archaeological, architectural, historical and cultural heritage. There is also a bookshop.

References

  1. 1 2 "Casa Sommer". Cascais. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  2. ↑ BELO, INÊS. "Casa Sommer, um espaço de memórias". Visao Sete. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  3. ↑ "Casa Sommer - Arquivo Histórico Municipal de Cascais". Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  • Media related to Cascais at Wikimedia Commons
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