Implications of the manor house’s identity for historic housing tourism practice

Abstract

Material heritage, namely architecture, has been given a prominent role as a patriotic symbol and tourist attraction, as it conveys a sense of continuity and verifiability that can be experienced socially, symbolically and sensorially. The manor houses, which constitute the unit of analysis of the present study, are past objects that allow the consumption of idealized meanings that are anachronistic. These buildings have obvious connotations with the provincial aristocratic elite that once inhabited them and the consumption of these tourist resources consecrates the social status and the taste of the guests who choose it as accommodation. Through the application of Grounded Theory methods, this paper proposes to analyze the concept of ‘Identity’ of Manor Houses and their respective properties ‘Genuinity’, ‘Exclusivity’ and ‘Functionality’ and their implications for the practice of Turismo de Habitação (i.e. Housing Tourism).