SANAM

#HousesOfIndia Story 57 - Zito

Casa Miguel Vincente dÁbreu, built in 1843, is located in Panjim, Goa. It is occupied by Mr. Jose Maria de Gouveia Pinto (aka Zito), 69 years old; his wife Marie Christine de Gouveia Pinto, a housewife; daughter Karina, and son Julian.

In 1817 there was a plague in old Goa. The houses in that area were broken and the materials from there were transported to the current location to build newer houses. Hence, the stone used for the staircase of the house is very rare (they used to be found only in old churches). The stone comes from Bhasin (present day Vasai) to Goa. 

The first word that comes to your mind when you enter this home is simply 'Wow!'. Casa Miguel is a treasure trove of artefacts, antiques and memories from the yester-years.

Everything from the floor to the furniture are made of high-quality antique wood. The furniture has intricate designs and carvings, which would be nearly impossible to find now.

Mr. Zito himself is also a well-known history buff and renowned in the community for his love and knowledge of the history of Goa.

Mr. Zito’s ancestor Miguel Vincente d’Abreu was a prolific researcher and writer, and despite the bureaucratic position he held in the government, he had time to leave for posterity, a rich legacy of publications which even today serve as a base for the study of history and governance of Goa, in particular in the 19th century.

In the words of Mr Zito, “Ours was a middle-class family, although we did belong to a gentry family at the time. The house and the family maintained themselves with the income from the properties. With the takeover of Goa by the Govt. of India (in 1961) and with the new socialist laws brought about by the new dispensation, the maintenance of such families became difficult and the additional income coming from the properties was turned into nothing with the result that the family had to maintain themselves from their salaries as employees of private firms, banks or government offices. It is also extremely difficult to maintain such houses with our meagre incomes, and with no help from the government to maintain Goan heritage houses or areas, these breed of people and heritage is almost forgotten.”

This Photo Essay was made exclusively for Housing.com for their campaign 'Houses of India'.