Our Story
The Legend
Queen Saint Isabel and the Legend of Jans
Among several passengers, Amieira barge may have transported the dead body of the Infanta from Aragão who got married with King Dinis, after her death being canonized and known as Queen Saint Isabel. After her dead in Estremoz and being buried in Coimbra, she was conducted through the path starting in Amieira and finishing at the Tagus margin, wearing a dress made of linen weaved by the Jans, name given to the invisible women who weaved very thin linen and with no knots. A legend from this region says that when wishing to have a piece of tissue weaved by those fairies, one should leave the linen at night together with a wheat flour cake baking in the fireplace. After finishing their work the fairies disappear mysteriously taking away with them such delicacy.
Queen Saint Isabel and the Legend of Jans
Among several passengers, Amieira barge may have transported the dead body of the Infanta from Aragão who got married with King Dinis, after her death being canonized and known as Queen Saint Isabel. After her dead in Estremoz and being buried in Coimbra, she was conducted through the path starting in Amieira and finishing at the Tagus margin, wearing a dress made of linen weaved by the Jans, name given to the invisible women who weaved very thin linen and with no knots. A legend from this region says that when wishing to have a piece of tissue weaved by those fairies, one should leave the linen at night together with a wheat flour cake baking in the fireplace. After finishing their work the fairies disappear mysteriously taking away with them such delicacy.
The Project
The Jans Concept project is the result of a passion (of Isilda Pelicano) for "things" and the "arts" of nature, reflecting the stylist's perspective about design, traditional arts and crafts, and lifestyle.
A commercial project with a profoundly cultural trait, which creates unique objects of contemporary design - manually crafted textile articles, ceramics, cork objects and aromatic products - manufactured in Portugal inspired by handicraft techniques of Northern Alentejo, aimed at promoting the traditional arts and crafts of the region, and contributing to attract young designers to reinterpret them in a contemporaneous manner.
The preservation of the memory and authenticity of the local culture projected in new patterns of modernity, based on a strong focus on design, quality and innovation, with its tourist side being a corollary of this innovative trademark.
The Jans Concept project is the result of a passion (of Isilda Pelicano) for "things" and the "arts" of nature, reflecting the stylist's perspective about design, traditional arts and crafts, and lifestyle.
A commercial project with a profoundly cultural trait, which creates unique objects of contemporary design - manually crafted textile articles, ceramics, cork objects and aromatic products - manufactured in Portugal inspired by handicraft techniques of Northern Alentejo, aimed at promoting the traditional arts and crafts of the region, and contributing to attract young designers to reinterpret them in a contemporaneous manner.
The preservation of the memory and authenticity of the local culture projected in new patterns of modernity, based on a strong focus on design, quality and innovation, with its tourist side being a corollary of this innovative trademark.
The Herdade [Estate]
At Herdade das Jans life moves slowly, the know-how, the dedication, the recipes, everything is passed down from one generation to the next, giving rise to products of excellence created by new dedicated craftspeople, who place the accumulated knowledge, handicraft techniques and tradition in the hands of younger generations.
Completely immersed in the natural landscape, bathed by the River Tejo, JANS Country House & Nature (with opening planned in the Autumn of 2024) at Herdade das Jans is a magnificent place offering a feeling of exclusivity combined with a very special natural beauty, where the colours and the aromas that burst forth from the singular soils of the Alentejo enhance the allure of the authentic and the sophistication of this site. The estate's lifestyle is simple with the sweet comfort of the modernity and exquisite design brought to us by the innovative trademark JANS that creates unique objects of contemporary design, manufactured in Portugal inspired by handicraft techniques of Northern Alentejo, and that in addition to being part of the decoration, can also be bought there and then.
At Herdade das Jans life moves slowly, the know-how, the dedication, the recipes, everything is passed down from one generation to the next, giving rise to products of excellence created by new dedicated craftspeople, who place the accumulated knowledge, handicraft techniques and tradition in the hands of younger generations.
Completely immersed in the natural landscape, bathed by the River Tejo, JANS Country House & Nature (with opening planned in the Autumn of 2024) at Herdade das Jans is a magnificent place offering a feeling of exclusivity combined with a very special natural beauty, where the colours and the aromas that burst forth from the singular soils of the Alentejo enhance the allure of the authentic and the sophistication of this site. The estate's lifestyle is simple with the sweet comfort of the modernity and exquisite design brought to us by the innovative trademark JANS that creates unique objects of contemporary design, manufactured in Portugal inspired by handicraft techniques of Northern Alentejo, and that in addition to being part of the decoration, can also be bought there and then.
Barca d’Amieira
The name of this place comes from having a boat that makes the connection between the railway stop of Barca d’Amieira, located on the northern bank of the River Tejo, in Beira Baixa, and the road leading to the village of Amieira do Tejo, in Alentejo, thus uniting the two piers on opposite sides of the river. Herdade das Jans, located in Barca d’Amieira, close to Amieira do Tejo, a historical village on the left bank of the River Tejo, includes a building dating back to 1850. The site was one of the “Commission Houses” (facilities created in the third quarter of the 17th century, at various points of the country). These were large warehouses into which, at particular times of the year, the regional products were deposited while waiting for the right moment to be able to continue their journey on to other destinations. Amieira do Tejo thus centralised all the traffic between the two banks. Later on, the building was used for overnight stays and rest by the “Ratinhos” [Mice] (seasonal rural labourers coming from the Beiras who did the manual wheat harvesting in Alentejo) and who here, in Barca d’Amieira, had an entrance point into the Alentejo.
The name of this place comes from having a boat that makes the connection between the railway stop of Barca d’Amieira, located on the northern bank of the River Tejo, in Beira Baixa, and the road leading to the village of Amieira do Tejo, in Alentejo, thus uniting the two piers on opposite sides of the river. Herdade das Jans, located in Barca d’Amieira, close to Amieira do Tejo, a historical village on the left bank of the River Tejo, includes a building dating back to 1850. The site was one of the “Commission Houses” (facilities created in the third quarter of the 17th century, at various points of the country). These were large warehouses into which, at particular times of the year, the regional products were deposited while waiting for the right moment to be able to continue their journey on to other destinations. Amieira do Tejo thus centralised all the traffic between the two banks. Later on, the building was used for overnight stays and rest by the “Ratinhos” [Mice] (seasonal rural labourers coming from the Beiras who did the manual wheat harvesting in Alentejo) and who here, in Barca d’Amieira, had an entrance point into the Alentejo.
Nature
Inside the Meseta Meridional Naturtejo Geopark, a UNESCO Global Geopark, this is a landscape of enormous natural wealth and diversity. In addition to the biodiversity of fauna and flora, the geological and archaeological gems and its excellent conditions for recreational fishing and water sports, the mountainous stretch of the Tejo delimiting it to the north of the Municipality of Nisa, it has an important complex of rock art.
For hiking enthusiasts, the 7 walking trails in Nisa are highly recommended (one of them, the PR1, which crosses Herdade das Jans along a small section and extends along the banks of the River Tejo through Muro de Sirga), has excellent natural landscapes including woods ofcork oak and holm oak, and a gallery of willow trees along the streams, a notable diversity of birdlife, being an important nesting area for birds. Walkers can also observe Bonelli's eagle, the golden eagle, the griffon vulture and the Egyptian vulture. This is also the home of populations of black storks, a rare species in Portugal. The parks mammals include the European otter, wild cat, red deer and many others.
Inside the Meseta Meridional Naturtejo Geopark, a UNESCO Global Geopark, this is a landscape of enormous natural wealth and diversity. In addition to the biodiversity of fauna and flora, the geological and archaeological gems and its excellent conditions for recreational fishing and water sports, the mountainous stretch of the Tejo delimiting it to the north of the Municipality of Nisa, it has an important complex of rock art.
For hiking enthusiasts, the 7 walking trails in Nisa are highly recommended (one of them, the PR1, which crosses Herdade das Jans along a small section and extends along the banks of the River Tejo through Muro de Sirga), has excellent natural landscapes including woods ofcork oak and holm oak, and a gallery of willow trees along the streams, a notable diversity of birdlife, being an important nesting area for birds. Walkers can also observe Bonelli's eagle, the golden eagle, the griffon vulture and the Egyptian vulture. This is also the home of populations of black storks, a rare species in Portugal. The parks mammals include the European otter, wild cat, red deer and many others.
Our Signature
“… here, a certain lifestyle is lived, positive, joyful, full of sharing and with a sense of time, so characteristic of the Alentejo…” Isilda Pelicano confides, reflecting the aesthetic sensitivity of someone who has always moved in the world of fashion with a philosophy that perceives true luxury as simplicity, discretion, authenticity, the valuation of time as an essential resource and aesthetics as an integral part of culture.
A place that tranquilises the mind and body, offering a healthy and traditional lifestyle of the Alentejo, with a touch of modernity and elegance, a passion for "things" and the "arts" of nature, which are at the core of its brand positioning and brand essence: Passion for nature.
“… here, a certain lifestyle is lived, positive, joyful, full of sharing and with a sense of time, so characteristic of the Alentejo…” Isilda Pelicano confides, reflecting the aesthetic sensitivity of someone who has always moved in the world of fashion with a philosophy that perceives true luxury as simplicity, discretion, authenticity, the valuation of time as an essential resource and aesthetics as an integral part of culture.
A place that tranquilises the mind and body, offering a healthy and traditional lifestyle of the Alentejo, with a touch of modernity and elegance, a passion for "things" and the "arts" of nature, which are at the core of its brand positioning and brand essence: Passion for nature.