At the beginning of the 19th century, the Kingdom of Portugal was invaded by the First French Empire under Napoleon Bonaparte during the Peninsular War. As a consequence, the Portuguese royal family and most of the nobility moved to Brazil, a colony of the Portuguese Empire. The majority of nobles and servants (approximately 15,000 people) settled in the city of Rio de Janeiro between 1808 and 1822.

The cultural exchange between Portugal and Brazil had a strong influence on the design of this house. Its architectural features were inspired by the distinctive architecture of the Brazilian coffee farmhouses.

The house was built in 1904, during the reign of King Carlos I. In 1929, it was acquired by Norberto Pinto da Motta, a successful Portuguese businessman who had previously lived in the city of Niterói, in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

In 2014, da Motta’s great-granddaughter began restoring the house, keeping all of its original features. Solar da Motta opened in 2017 as a vacation rental home, named after Norberto Pinto da Motta.

The surrounding properties, also da Motta’s, continue being developed. The Solar da Motta brand was created in honor of Norberto Pinto da Motta.