Convento do Santíssimo Sacramento

Did the walls of Convento do Santíssimo Sacramento whisper secrets of noble nuns and political intrigue? Let’s uncover them together. Right here, at the Convento do Santíssimo Sacramento, history comes alive. This former monastery, nestled in Lisbon, holds centuries of stories. Founded in 1605 by the Counts of Vimioso, D. Luís de Portugal and D. Joana de Castro e Mendonça, it was intended as a sanctuary for Dominican nuns. Construction began in 1612, with the first stone laid by the Viceroy of Portugal. The first church, completed in 1620, was a single, dark nave. It housed 35 nuns, the maximum capacity. Just fifteen years later, it was demolished and replaced by a new church with a Greek cross plan and a high semi-spherical dome. Behind the high altar lies a chapel designed to hold the Blessed Sacrament Monstrance, a piece from the early 1600s. This precious artifact is now housed in the Machado de Castro Museum in Coimbra. The nuns who resided here were primarily from the high nobility, living lives of austerity within these walls. The convent’s population often exceeded its official capacity of 35 during the 17th and 18th centuries. With the extinction of Religious Orders in 1834, no new novices were admitted. By 1859, only 13 nuns, 8 pupils, and one secular woman remained, facing significant hardship. In 1889, the Convento do Santíssimo Sacramento began providing space to charitable organizations. Part of its property was even ceded for the expansion of Rua do Sacramento in 1895, just two years before the last nun passed away. Between 1911 and 1916, the West Wing housed the Portuguese Academy of Sciences. Later, the military used it as a storage depot. Today, the building is owned by the state and has served the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Part of the Convento do Santíssimo Sacramento now houses offices. It has been carefully rehabilitated while respecting the building’s history. Contemporary architecture blends seamlessly with the original structure. The Convento do Santíssimo Sacramento’s journey through time reflects Lisbon’s own evolution, from a center of religious fervor to a modern metropolis.