Pestana Palácio do Freixo

Photographing the Pestana Palácio do Freixo was, for me, an encounter with one of the masterpieces of Portuguese Baroque. Standing before the eighteenth-century façade designed by Nicolau Nasoni — a classified National Monument — I sought to translate into images the grandeur of its towers, the richness of its plasterwork and the dialogue between the palace, its formal gardens and the waters of the Douro river.

I devoted myself to capturing every space with sensitivity: the noble halls with their ornate ceilings, the rooms that blend contemporary luxury with historic memory, the pool and spa, and the unique view over the Douro and the Serra do Pilar. I worked above all with the natural light pouring through the palace windows, letting Nasoni’s architecture reveal its own textures and proportions.

I completed the series with food and cocktail photography, where I pursued the same care I had given the architecture: clean compositions, vivid colours and the precise detail of every dish and drink. The result is a faithful portrait of the hospitality experience at Palácio do Freixo, where historic heritage and the comfort of a luxury pousada meet on the riverbank.