Santana is a small village in the civil parish of Portel, located near the old Roman road between Évora and Beja, that borders Vidigueira, along the southern border of the Alto Alentejo region.
The name Sant’Anna da Serra do Mendro was recorded for the first time in the eighteenth century, after remodeling the primitive church built in the Middle Ages between two villages are called Baxo (below), and Sima (above)” (…) states the Parish Memories of Portel Vila Viçosa for the period between 1722 and 1832. People have lived in this place, due to the high quality of its lands, since time immemorial. It was the village of “Sima” that gave rise to the Herdade da Aldeia de Cima, that was first mentioned in 1758.
Working to enhance nature rather than damage it is the daily motto of Luisa and Francisco, who see Herdade Aldeia de Cima as the project of a lifetime, experiencing its authenticity and the com-munity spirit of the village located in the Ibero-Mediterranean eco-area of the Ossa-Morena Zone.
Comprising a huge expanse of cork oak and holm oak trees, including 1750 hectares in the Serra do Mendro, there has always been a typically Mediterranean use of the land here in apparently poor shale soils, which are rich in diversity.
This pastoral agro-silvo system of the cork oak forest, which is subject to anthropogenic intervention, is based on the mixed presence of two oak species - the cork oak (quercus suber) and holm oak (quercus rotundifolia) – which provides a variety of food and wildlife habitats, that is essential for soil conservation, regulation of the water cycle, reduction of carbon emissions and conservation of biodiversity.
We continue to practice sustainable agroforestry management, which aims to achieve profitability over the medium- to long-term.
The typical Alentejan architectural style, of mud and brick houses and farm buildings, with whitewashed walls punctuated by small windows, has been recovered by the present owners – who aim to revive the estate’s authenticity and the village’s community spirit.
Due to their isolation, the Alentejan people have developed an autonomous and sustainable way of life, reflected in their rich gastronomy, that combines dairy farming products - milk, curd, cheese and lamb - with honey, nuts and produce from the local vegetable gardens and orchards. Bread remains the local staple food, attesting to the huge surrounding grain fields.
In 1258, the King D. Afonso III granted a plot of land - the Portel Mafomode - to his steward, D. João de Aboim, making him the first Lord of Portel. He was a man of great learning, erudite and an illustrious troubadour, who lived for many years in France. He bequeathed a huge number of love and friendship songs to Portugal, that have served as an endless source of research into medieval literature.
After D. João de Aboim’s death in 1301, King D. Dinis negotiated, with his widow and daughter, the first acquisition of the estate, and it remained the property of the Royal Household until 1385, when King D. João I granted it to Nuno Álvares Pereira, after he led Portugal to victory in the Battle of Aljubarrota. The “Holy Constable”, as he became known, later bequeathed the estate to his grandson, Fernando de Portugal, who became the Duke of Bragança. As a result, Portel pertained to the House of Bragança until the 1820 Liberal Revolution, when it was confiscated and integrated within the general administration of the Portuguese State.
The pure honey of the Herdade Aldeia de Cima is produced with minimal human intervention, based on the diversity of the typically Mediterranean pollen-rich wild flowers - in particular wild rosemary that grows in the unique ecosystem of the cork oak forests of the Serra de Mendro, untouched by industrial or urban pollution.
The warm early summer temperatures are ideal for extracting liquid honey, and peak production is usually between June and July. The cooler winter temperatures may cause the honey to crystallise, without any loss of nutritional value - the mark of high-quality honey.
Benefiting from unique biodiversity, the Herdade Aldeia de Cima has always had abundant water, as shown by the many water wheels. The small lower-lying plots of land, in the more fertile zones, have been occupied by vegetable gardens and fig and pomegranate orchards. The plateaux are occupied by red Alentejana Cattle herds, bulls, Black Iberian pigs and sheep, who graze on white barley and oats.
Today we respect the past to build the future.
Merino white sheep is one of the Alentejo’s oldest breeds, brought by Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians, on their commercial trips to the Iberian Peninsula. These docile sheep, who have a sturdy build and fine wool, graze in the large stretches of land of the Herdade Aldeia de Cima. The flock of sheep, with more than 1500 animals, is left to roam freely, taking advantage of the natural pastures of a sustainable ecosystem throughout the year, helping to maintain the soil, its biodiversity and avoiding the danger of forest fires during the Alentejo’s hot summer months.
The Herdade Aldeia de Cima has a legendary olive grove that resists the passage of time - the Horta das Fontanais. More than a 100 ancient olive trees occupy a 1.25 ha grove, testifying to tree’s survival capacity and the quality of the soils. The dry-looking trunks can, in certain cases, exceed 8.5 metres in diameter.
The cork oak forest in the Herdade Aldeia de Cima is located within the Iberian-Mediterranean ecological area of the Ossa-Morena zone. Its anthropogenic system is based on the mixed presence of two oak species – the cork oak (quercus suber) and holm oak (quercus rotundifolia) and provides a variety of foodstuffs and wildlife habitats, which are essential for soil conservation, regulation of the water cycle, reduction of carbon emissions and conservation of biodiversity.
The estate preserves natural habitats such as woodlands filled with Cretan rockrose, woolly rock rose, gorse, groom, small trees and brambles, interspersed with spontaneous grassland. This habitat is ideal for sedentary species such as Iberian partridge, hare, pheasant, small bustard, fox, mongoose, wild boar and Alentejan black pig. In these pollution-free lands, it is common to see storks, sparrows and goldfinches, as well as impressive birds of prey, such as the black vulture or kite.
The pure honey of the Herdade Aldeia de Cima is produced with minimal human intervention, based on the diversity of the typically Mediterranean pollen-rich wild flowers - in particular wild rosemary that grows in the unique ecosystem of the cork oak forests of the Serra de Mendro, untouched by industrial or urban pollution.
The warm early summer temperatures are ideal for extracting liquid honey, and peak production is usually between June and July. The cooler winter temperatures may cause the honey to crystallise, without any loss of nutritional value - the mark of high-quality honey.
Benefiting from unique biodiversity, the Herdade Aldeia de Cima has always had abundant water, as shown by the many water wheels. The small lower-lying plots of land, in the more fertile zones, have been occupied by vegetable gardens and fig and pomegranate orchards. The plateaux are occupied by red Alentejana Cattle herds, bulls, Black Iberian pigs and sheep, who graze on white barley and oats.
Today we respect the past to build the future.
Merino white sheep is one of the Alentejo’s oldest breeds, brought by Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians, on their commercial trips to the Iberian Peninsula. These docile sheep, who have a sturdy build and fine wool, graze in the large stretches of land of the Herdade Aldeia de Cima. The flock of sheep, with more than 1500 animals, is left to roam freely, taking advantage of the natural pastures of a sustainable ecosystem throughout the year, helping to maintain the soil, its biodiversity and avoiding the danger of forest fires during the Alentejo’s hot summer months.
The Herdade Aldeia de Cima has a legendary olive grove that resists the passage of time - the Horta das Fontanais. More than a 100 ancient olive trees occupy a 1.25 ha grove, testifying to tree’s survival capacity and the quality of the soils. The dry-looking trunks can, in certain cases, exceed 8.5 metres in diameter.
The cork oak forest in the Herdade Aldeia de Cima is located within the Iberian-Mediterranean ecological area of the Ossa-Morena zone. Its anthropogenic system is based on the mixed presence of two oak species – the cork oak (quercus suber) and holm oak (quercus rotundifolia) and provides a variety of foodstuffs and wildlife habitats, which are essential for soil conservation, regulation of the water cycle, reduction of carbon emissions and conservation of biodiversity.
The estate preserves natural habitats such as woodlands filled with Cretan rockrose, woolly rock rose, gorse, groom, small trees and brambles, interspersed with spontaneous grassland. This habitat is ideal for sedentary species such as Iberian partridge, hare, pheasant, small bustard, fox, mongoose, wild boar and Alentejan black pig. In these pollution-free lands, it is common to see storks, sparrows and goldfinches, as well as impressive birds of prey, such as the black vulture or kite.
Identified using at least four names in the Portuguese language: sobreiro, sobro, sobreira or chaparro, the cork oak is a member of the oak family (quercus) and is an indigenous species of the Iberian Peninsula. Due to its economic importance, which does not require the trees to be felled, it has been continually planted since antiquity in the Mediterranean countries of Europe and North Africa.
It has unique characteristics: it is covered by a bark composed of a vegetal tissue called suber - or cork - which regenerates after being harvested. It is the only species in the Mediterranean basin that can regenerate from the canopy down, after severe forest fires. Its leafy crown can reach 25 m height in adulthood, and the collective forest canopy helps reduce wind speeds, yielding a less extreme micro-climate in winter and summer. This lengthens the growing season of neighbouring plants and protects nearby crops.
With a lifespan of 200 years, an individual cork oak tree needs 25 years before it is mature enough to have its bark harvested for the first time. It is a process that is repeated every 9 years by specialist craftsmen who are the highest paid farm workers in the world. Cork oaks comprise 21% of the total forestry area in Portugal, so they create barriers against desertification and soil erosion. The cork oak tree also plays a key role in retaining tons of CO2, thus providing a valuable aid in reducing greenhouse gases, the main cause of climate change. The cork oak tree is protected by law and has been declared Portugal’s National Tree.
The Serra do Mendro is famous for its hunting traditions. Its mountainous landscapes and diverse flora have engendered abundant game - partridge, hare, wild boar and small fowl – making the Herdade Aldeia de Cima justly famous. Game management has replaced the age-old role played by predators in preventing degradation of the local flora.
These distinctive hills and valleys harbour a richly diverse ecosystem that provides an exceptional habitat for smaller species, in particular the Iberian partridge, which is an emblematic species of the region and challenges the skills of the most attentive hunters
Set upon rocky, schist soils, the cork oak and holm oak forests, interspersed with maritime pine, provide a natural habitat with for shrubs, such as Esteva (cistus ladanifer), rockrose, gorse, broom, and wild blackberries and spontaneous grain crops. This is an ideal habitat for sustaining local species, including Iberian partridges, hares, pheasants, little bustards, foxes, mongooses, wild boars, and deer.
Thrushes swarm through the surrounding olive groves and, even in winter, wood pigeons can be hunted, using decoys. This species has been plentiful in recent years, due to various nesting places on the estate. It is an impressive sight to see thousands of wood pigeons flying in and out of the estate, at dawn and dusk.
"Historic Record of the Noble Village of Portel", 1730, by Francisco de Macedo da Pinna Patalim.
Manuscript presented to His Highness, the Prince, our Lord and Duke of Bragança, D. José, the future King D. José.