The Armand Counts
Count Ernest Armand
Count Ernest Armand was born in 1829. In 1870, he was sent to Lisbon to serve as the French ambassador to Portugal. On March 9, 1872, Count Armand purchased the Comenda from Henrique Maria Albino. He passed away in 1898.
The original house at Comenda purchased by Ernest Armand in 1872
Count Abel Armand
Abel Armand inherited the Comenda from his father through a donation in 1898. That same year, upon his father's death, Abel inherited the title of Count. In 1903, Abel Armand commissioned a project for a new house from architect Raul Lino, which was completed in 1908.
The new house at Comenda commissioned by Count Abel Armand and designed by architect Raul Lino.
Count Roger Armand
Roger Armand inherited the title of Count in 1919 after his father's death. The Comenda and all its lands were passed on to Abel Armand's widow and their children. One of Roger Armand's goals was to preserve the area's rich flora by constructing a large park where he maintained existing species and planted new ones.
“The Comenda, being one of the most interesting parts of the beautiful landscape of the Sado, makes me wish that everyone could enjoy the contemplation of nature in this enchanting place."
Count Roger Armand in O Correio do Sado, nº. 1, March 23, 1932.