In 1888, the heiress of the House of Castelo Melhor married the 3rd Viscount of Várzea. In 1901, both assumed the title of Marquises of Castelo Melhor – she by right, he by marriage. As the palace belonging to these holders in Lisbon, in Passeio Público, had been sold to the Marquis of Foz, the couple settled in the Palácio da Rosa (whose medieval foundations stretch back to the lineage of the Nogueiras, alcaides of Lisbon), which belonged to the marquess by inheritance from the House of Ponte de Lima. A profound renovation of this palace was then undertaken – a renovation that intended to somehow convey a longed-for new glow in these old houses. For the courtyard and for some of the drawing rooms, the artist Pereira Cão was commissioned in 1904 to produce a series of tile panels depicting the main genealogical and nobility symbols that converged around the titular couple. Each of the branches chosen was represented by three types: the respective heraldry; busts of illustrious ancestors; and depictions of their most memorable deeds. Thus, at the end of the monarchy and with the social preponderance of these historical noble Houses, this constructed a final heraldic revival which aimed to highlight the antiquity and value of these branches in a period crucial for the survival of the monarchy.

About the author
Miguel Metelo de Seixas, PhD in History (2010), is an integrated researcher (2011) at the Institute of Medieval Studies/ NOVA-FCSH, where he coordinates the research group “Images, Texts and Representations” (2019). He also coordinates the project “In the Service of the Crown. The use of heraldry in royal political communication in Late Medieval Portugal” (IEM and Universität Münster, 2016). His most recent book is Shields and Castles, Symbols of Portugal (Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation, 2019). He chairs the Portuguese Institute of Heraldry and directs the journal Armas e Troféus (2010).