“Was this once a bustling hive of activity?” I ask you all. Right before us stands the Convento das Bernardas do Mocambo a place steeped in history. This wasn’t always a museum. The Convento das Bernardas do Mocambo began its life in 1653 thanks to King John IV of Portugal. Dedicated to Our Lady of Nazareth it was part of the Cistercian Order. It even had back entrances onto Rua Vicente Borga and Calçada do Castelo Picão.
Imagine the Bernardine nuns living here. Their peaceful existence was shattered in 1655. The convent closed. Then disaster struck. The devastating 1755 earthquake almost completely destroyed the Convento das Bernardas do Mocambo. Rebuilding started in 1758 under the talented Italian architect Giacomo Azzolini. During this time the nuns temporarily moved to the nearby Convento da Esperança. That convent was later demolished in 1889. The Bernardine nuns remained until 1834.
The suppression of religious orders in 1834 changed everything. The Convento das Bernardas do Mocambo was sold to private owners. It served many purposes. It was a school. It even became a cinema-theatre. The famous fado singer Hermínia Silva once performed there. Can you picture the sounds of fado echoing through the halls? The Convento das Bernardas do Mocambo also housed a philharmonic orchestra. Later it became home to families many of whom were fishermen. They used the cloister to store their fishing gear. They also held movie screenings and popular festivals there.
The building suffered numerous alterations. In 1998 Lisbon City Council bought the Convento das Bernardas do Mocambo. The council restored it. Today it houses the Museu da Marioneta the puppet museum. The old refectory is now a restaurant. The original cisterns remain visible. They are covered by limestone slabs. The Convento das Bernardas do Mocambo continues to blend its rich past with modern life.