The cornerstone was laid in 1612. That’s the Antiga Igreja e Convento de Santa Marta. Before you stands a testament to centuries of Lisbon’s history. This convent church a haven for Franciscan Clarissas nuns. It was built between the 17th and 18th centuries.
Imagine the sisters’ lives within these walls. They lived a life of quiet devotion. Their daily routines were filled with prayer and contemplation. Their peaceful existence was shattered in 1755. The devastating earthquake struck Lisbon. The Antiga Igreja e Convento de Santa Marta suffered immense damage.
The nuns were displaced. Their convent was left in ruins. After the dissolution of religious orders in 1834 it was adapted. It became a hospice for poor clerics. Later it was annexed to the Hospital de São José. In 1903 it joined the group of Lisbon’s Civil Hospitals. It was officially designated as the Santa Marta Hospital. In 1910 it became the Lisbon Medico-Surgical School. A few years later it became a teaching hospital for the Faculty of Medicine.
Picture the bustling hospital wards. The sounds of healing and suffering intertwined. The scent of medicines. The weight of history palpable. The lives that unfolded within the convent’s repurposed walls. This building has seen it all. From religious devotion to medical innovation.
Today the Antiga Igreja e Convento de Santa Marta stands as a poignant reminder. It reflects Lisbon’s resilience and its enduring spirit. A place where faith and healing intertwined. A place transformed yet forever linked to its past. The stone whispers stories of faith. Of earthquakes. Of healing. Of adaptation and survival. It is a story that continues to unfold. This is the legacy of the Antiga Igreja e Convento de Santa Marta.