It was supposed to be a gift. A gesture from father to daughter, transformed into a singular replica of Disney’s castles. Decades later, what was born as fantasy ended up living times of ruin and oblivion. However, the scenario did not remained unchanged and the plot came back with rehabilitation and return to the luxury real estate market.
The mansion is located in Malveira da Serra, in Cascais, and is on sale for 24 million euros. According to NIT, this is the old Quinta da Felicidade, a property with about nine thousand square meters, requalified after years to abandonment. The main housing, with three floors, 19 bedrooms and 20 bathrooms, is the former libris of the group, referring directly to the Disney universe, both by architecture and decorative elements.
Origins of an enchanted replica
It was in the 80’s that Carlos Maia Nogueira, a computer entrepreneur, decided to offer his daughter a palace inspired by Disney castles. According to the same source, the project included detailed plants and a construction authorization with these characteristics, at a time when the entrepreneur led Solbi, a company then relevant in the national technological panorama.
The reinterpretation of classical architecture included marble columns, interior and outdoor pools, radiant floor and even a private bunker. Over the years, new buildings have been added, including a ballroom.
The conflict with the Cascais Chamber
Despite the grandeur of the project, not everything went as planned. It writes the same publication that the City Council of Cascais issued several demolition orders, starting a legal conflict with the owner who would drag himself for years. Speaking to SIC, Maia Nogueira said that all licensing requests were refused and that at one point she paid a fine of “four thousand and such tales”.
According to the same source, the public reported in 1999 the controversy surrounding construction, questioning the ease with which he rose first and then legalized, in the context of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park.
Decline and abandonment
The history of the property accompanied that of its owner. Solbi ended activity in 2008, with debts more than 20 million euros. Adds the publication that in 2011, Maia Nogueira revealed to Exame Informática magazine that she then lived in a cave in Campo de Ourique, with a pension of 500 euros a month.
We recommend:
However, housing maintenance costs increased. The space that had served for events and formations was being abandoned. It refers to the property of the Abandonados.pt, becoming a stopping point for urban explorers and enthusiasts of vacant places.
Digital fame and unauthorized visits
Over time, the images of what happened to call the “Portuguese Disney Palace” circulated on social networks. Explains the website that pages such as IG Mansions highlighted the grandeur of the building, wrapped in exotic vegetation and with sea view.
In 2021, the duo Yellow Jackets, known for their photographic explorations, visited the place. According to the public newspaper, the experience was “completely different from anything they had ever seen and photographed.” The exact location, even so, remained discreet.
The rehabilitation that returned dignity
The scenario, once marked by graffitis and ruins, has changed in recent years. The housing was the target of deep rehabilitation, which recovered elements such as imported statues of Italy and other period details. Currently, the property is without furniture, but with luxury details that contrast wood with marble, and large windows that let in natural light.
A new chapter in the luxury market
Since May, the property has returned to the market, listed on the JamesDição platform for 24 million euros. It becomes one of the most expensive mansions in the country, and at the top of the list is a house in lakes that costs 27 million euros. Only 25 minutes from Lisbon airport and five minutes from Guincho beach, the property is positioned as an exclusive proposal for high segment buyers.
The reconstruction of space has returned the brightness that has been lost between disputes, debt and abandonment for years. Although the mansion’s past is marked by ups and downs, the present reveals a rewritten narrative, where architectural opulence is again the center of attention.
Also read:
