Landscape Art in Douro Cultural Landscape: Ornamental Gardens of Quintas (original) (raw)

The Upper River Douro Valley Wine Region, in the northern inland area of Portugal, is a UNESCO Cultural Landscape World Heritage Site. Shaped by the meandering water plan of the river, this landscape produces the Porto wine on sloping hillsides, terraced and extensively cultivated with vineyards, often bordered by olive trees and punctuated by the Italian-cypress. The basic unit of production is the large estate known as Quinta. It integrates the vineyards and other productive areas, the rural constructions, and sometimes, not far away from the main house, a vegetable garden and an ornamental garden and woodland. This study intends to analyse the integration and scenic value of the Quintas in the landscape of Douro. It focuses on the exceptional recreational and ornamental characteristics of these Quintas and aims at describing and analysing the existing types of ornamental gardens. It is based on the collection of data on 28 sites and on the analysis of their structure, the aesthetical and functional principles, the visual relations and the elements that compose them. The authors aimed at revealing the information collected on sites and opening perspectives for new and further detailed studies in the Douro Cultural Landscape, namely on the contribution of Quintas to landscape quality and identity.