[15] The palace's importance stems in part from its unique monumentality in the region, where palatial heritage is uncommon due to the poor economic conditions over the past few centuries, social instability, and natural disasters.

[21] In the case of Estoi Palace, the productive areas, such as the citrus groves, were integrated with the garden spaces, which feature various recreational structures and amenities, such as fresco houses, tea pavilions, a bandstand, and several artificial lakes.

[13] Although the palace complex is a distinct element of Estoi's urban fabric due to its architecture and the structure of its various spaces, it still maintains a connection to the village through the road network, which influenced its organization.

[24] The interior of the chapel also follows a Louis XV aesthetic,[8] with walls lined with tiles and a ceiling painted with scenes of the Ascension of Christ by the artist Francisco Luís Alves.

[5] Attached to the west side of the palace is the volume of the hostel, designed to follow the topographical layout of the gardens, with three levels of terraces divided by two supporting walls.

"[10] However, the organization of the decorative elements in the gardens was criticized by Oliva Guerra [pt] in the magazine Alma Nova [pt] in 1926: “This stately palace, where the well-kept gardens are at odds with the profusion and bad taste in the distribution of the sculptures, lined up in niches, on plinths, and on the cymatia, without order, without connection, without selection criteria, randomly mixing Schiller with Fernão de Magalhães, Danton with São Francisco, Milton with Guilherme II, in a sort of magazine of the centuries where coherence and common sense gave way to the most nonsensical confusion of races, eras, and conditions imaginable.

[4] This corridor is lined with trees of exotic species and decorated with busts of illustrious figures from Portugal's history, such as António Feliciano de Castilho, Manuel Maria Barbosa du Bocage, Almeida Garrett, and the Marquis of Pombal.

[10] The upper floor is marked by a lake surrounded by a balustrade, with a Carrara marble sculpture at its center, known as the Fonte de Ossónoba,[10] featuring statues of mermaids from which water flows.

[24] The wall supporting the third floor, on the other side of the lake, is divided by three doors topped by round arches, giving access to a pavilion where a nativity scene by the artist José Pedro da Cruz Leiria is displayed.

[7] This estate, which became the basis for the future palace,[2] was described as “a farm with magnificent houses, a corresponding garden, various vegetable gardens and sowing land, all designed for grandeur and recreation, with beautiful and famous streets linking the buildings with a walkway of excellent staircases made of stone, supported by entrances and porticos with sturdy pillars.”[4] Vilhena de Mesquita placed the construction of the Quinta within a context of major social and economic changes in the Algarve following the 1755 earthquake.

[12] According to Vilhena Mesquita, this will reflect the process of the extinction of the old Algarve nobility, due both to the lack of descendants and to financial reasons, caused by the economic changes that began in the 18th century, which led to the sale of large agricultural properties in the interior.

[31] The land was later sold at public auction and acquired by José Martins Caiado, João Pires and D. Maria do Carmo Mascarenhas, who were unable to prevent the gradual deterioration of the property.

[10] During the 19th century, attempts were also made to set up a company to install a health center on the palace property, as Estói was much sought after by patients due to its mild climate and the purity of its waters.

[2] In recognition of his efforts to preserve one of the most important monuments in the Algarve, King Carlos I granted José Francisco da Silva the title of Viscount of Estoi, who was then the Civil Governor of Beja, by decree on January 4[10] or 9, 1906.

[34] In the afternoon, a civic procession took place from the palace gardens to Ossónoba Square, where, upon arrival, the philharmonic band played the School Anthem, accompanied in chorus by the students.

[34] Due to its architectural and decorative richness and its lush vegetation, the palace quickly became an important attraction at the local, county, and regional levels, drawing many national and international visitors.

[37] On March 4, 1914, the newspaper O Heraldo reported that the president of the ministry, Afonso Costa, had visited the palace along with the civil governor of the district and a group of local republican politicians, as part of his tour of the southern region of the country.

[38] On January 20, 1924, the Correio do Sul newspaper reported that the wedding of Maria das Mercês Zeferino and Rodrigo Cabrita Corvo had taken place in the palace's chapel, with one of the witnesses being the Viscount of Estoi himself.

[39] In 1925, the documentary Uma Panorâmica do Algarve was shown in Lisbon cinemas, featuring images of various cultural and natural monuments in the region, including the gardens of Estoi Palace.

The newspaper Folha do Domingo described the wedding and the subsequent reception in the palace's rooms: “The chapel was artistically decorated with precious damasks, and both the main and side altars were adorned with an abundance of rare flowers and a great profusion of candles.

[5] The neglect began soon after José Francisco da Silva's death, when the newspaper O Algarve reported on April 1, 1928, that the clock tower was in danger of collapsing, preventing the annual procession of Senhor Jesus dos Passos, which usually passed in front of the palace, from taking place that year.

[44] Both the palace and its gardens continued to be used for events, such as a visit in March 1947, as part of a Portuguese-Argentine gathering, attended by several members of Argentina's legation in Portugal, including the Argentine Republic's chargé d'affaires, Cipriano Pons Lezica.

[46] In August 1953, a lunch was offered to children in the palace gardens, as part of the traditional festivals of Our Lady of the Foot of the Cross and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the visit of the coadjutor bishop, Francisco Rendeiro.

[47] The palace itself was also part of the festive program, as reported by Folha do Domingo on September 13, 1953: “Bishop Francisco Rendeiro made his solemn entrance into the vast temple, which was artistically decorated and filled to capacity, despite it being a working day, to the sound of ‘Ecce Sacerdos Magnus.’ After a brief prayer, and already vested in the robes for the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, [...] seated on the chair, with miter and crosier, he addressed the vast crowd, especially the children at the Solemn Communion, through the microphone.

[25] In 1963, Povo Algarvio reported that “we were told that perhaps one day the whole palace would become a guesthouse,” but that “the current owner would never consent to this,” an attitude the newspaper explained as one of “love and pride in owning the most beautiful monument in the Algarve.”[19] On September 17, 1970, Correio do Sul once again called for the palace to be used for tourism, considering it “in its artistic expression and romantic features, a unique piece in the chessboard of Algarve beauties.” A similar appeal was made by journalist Vasco Callixto [pt] in O Século.

[15] On August 4, 1977, Correio do Sul reported that the Cultural Group of the Algarve Regional Tourism Commission had issued a proposal to classify the palace and its gardens as a National Monument, or at least as a Property of Public Interest.

[30] Despite its classification, in the early 1980s, the palace and gardens were still in poor condition, a situation that researcher José Fernandes Mascarenhas highlighted in an article published in Correio do Sul on January 29, 1981.

[54] However, by the end of the decade, the property was still in a serious state of abandonment, and researcher Vilhena de Mesquita urged the Instituto Português do Património Arquitetónico [pt] to proceed with its acquisition, as there were already foreign entities interested in buying it, which would prevent it from being reused for cultural purposes.

[9] Vilhena de Mesquita suggested that, instead of a hostel, the palace could be reused as an inn for artists and intellectuals with more limited financial resources, thus becoming a center for cultural dialogue.

[1] Consequently, the garden platform on the west side of the palace was extended, with new structures built to house the accommodation units, a spa, and an outdoor swimming pool, while the original building was repurposed for leisure and service spaces.