The Hospital of Desterro, located on the Colina de Santana, in Lisbon, was closed in 2007, after having been a hospital of reference for more than 150 years in the area of venereal diseases and dermatology.
The building, constructed at the end of the 16th century, as a monastery of the Cistercian order, carries within its walls various centuries of history, consequence of multiple occupations and reuses that tended to dilute the architectural coherence of the old monastery.
The object of a recent architectural project providing for multifunctional uses, that include housing, tourism, leisure and health, after a decades long debate about the inadequacy of the building for use as a hospital. Today, the focus of the debate is on safeguarding the building, with new functions, and the defence of its historical and heritage values.
This study aims to present new historical data and new readings of the ancient Royal Monastery of Nossa Senhora do Desterro, particularly as regards the last two centuries, while the work on the building remains suspended and its future remains open.
