A British couple has already invested more than €3 million in a property in Cinfães, the mayor of the Viseu district told Lusa. “It's an English couple - Belinda and Andrew Skipper. He is a lawyer, director and owner of a law firm, he bought a property of about 9.5 hectares and is transforming it”, said Armando Mourisco.

As explained by the mayor of Cinfães, this investment, “which, until now, has already exceeded three million euros”, started four years ago, with the acquisition of the property. “Investment began in the agricultural area, in the vineyard and olive grove sector. There is already wine production from the Avesso and Alvarinho varieties and, currently, the house is being rehabilitated, which has a very traditional design”, he explained.

Transformation

Recently, he said, he visited the works that are in progress and, in his view, the couple “is transforming the house into a rural hotel of great attractiveness, not only for the municipality of Cinfães, but for the region”.

“Mr Skipper's idea is very interesting. He knows that in spring and summer he will have no difficulty with tourism, but as he owns a company that operates across the four corners of the world and they are constantly doing sectoral training, Cinfães will be a strategic location”, he said.

Armando Mourisco explained that the investor “has the idea of ​​concentrating the training or, at least, part of it in Cinfães, since due to the different legislation in the different countries in which the company works” the lawyers need these meetings. “In other words, Mr. Skipper said that, instead of renting hotels in the countries for training, Cinfães will host groups of lawyers for training”.

The president of Cinfães is convinced that “the groups of lawyers who will be at Quinta da Soalheira will visit the municipality, will eat at local restaurants, are potential customers in the municipality and are, without a doubt, people who will spread the word about the municipality around the world” . “This is one of the differentiating investments that the interior needs. Differentiating for the quality of the investment and for maintaining the original design. And differentiating for what is the future perspective of the economic dynamics of the county”, he said.

Photo: © Pedro Sá | Fotografia