If you’re lucky enough to be able to build your dream house, you might choose a picturesque sea view or a mountainous hillside surrounded by nature. But one family fell in love with a rugged landscape so much that they built their holiday home between four natural boulders, which would eventually become voted the world’s weirdest house.
It was in 1973 when the Rodrigues family from Guimarães decided to finally build their dream holiday home in the picturesque rolling hills of the Serra de Fafe in the Braga region in the north. After spending many days enjoying the view from the car, the family found the ideal place for their home away from home – a space between four natural boulders. The family set out to find the landowner, and with determination and word of mouth, they were able to track down the proprietors, as the boulder belonged to three different people. After purchasing the boulders and surrounding land, the family used the employees of their textile business in Guimarães to build the house. In those days, Saturday was considered a work day, and so five employees from the company would come and build the house bit by bit on Saturdays until its completion about a year later.
Constructed to the design of Mr Rodrigues, who kept an eye on the building progress, the finished house would not have any electricity, as it was intended to be an escape from the developing world of modern technology. TV and telephones were replaced by family conversations and the sound of birdsong so the family could enjoy peace and tranquillity, surrounded by nature. M. Rodrigues fully believed that technology would be a distraction and, having grown up in the 40s when technology wasn’t as advanced, he wanted his family to relive “the old days”. Thankfully, the house does have running water and gas for daily essentials, but with a view to savour and a house quite literally made of stone to your own design, what more could one ask for?
Sadly, the family’s dream of seclusion was short-lived. In 2014, a photo of the unusual house surfaced online on a site dedicated to “weird buildings”. It wasn’t long before a Japanese TV channel called Tokyo TV made a programme about the house, which brought it back into the spotlight yet again, spurring many visitors to try and find the house that once enjoyed being hidden from public view. Within ten days after the release of the Japanese TV programme, Casa do Penedo (meaning boulder house) went from eighth to first place for the weirdest house, not just in Portugal but in the world.
Now their holiday home is becoming something of a tourist attraction, the family spends less time at the house. However, they do visit out of season in the hope that nobody drops in for a look.
Having been featured in media outlets across Portugal and even in London, Mr Rodrigues’ son, Vitor, has decided to open the house to visitors, offering them the opportunity to explore the architecture and fascinating history of the building. The maxim “if you can’t beat them, join them” has encouraged Vitor to explore ways to further maximise the potential of the house and the area; overnight stays at Casa do Penedo is one possibility in the pipeline. For the moment, visitors can learn about the house and its history, and share the same enjoyment that its owners have experienced for over 50 years.
