When we bought the townhouse in 2019, the staircase was the first thing we saw and the last thing we finished. Ninety-six stone steps spiral from the lobby to the attic, worn into soft dips by more than a century of feet.
Keeping the dips
The easy option was to re-cut every step. Instead, our stonemason consolidated each tread by hand and left the wear exactly where it was. You can still feel where the original family’s children used to sit and wait for dinner.
The handrail
The iron handrail took a blacksmith from Guimarães four months. It was straightened, re-forged in places and finished with beeswax, which is why it feels warm under your hand even in January.
Written at No. 56, Príncipe Real
