Houses of Mercy: a contribution to the knowledge and valorization of health heritage in Portugal

Abstract

The Confraternities of the Mercy (Misericórdias), established to carry out the 14 Works of Mercy, constituted, in the field of their activity, important promoters of different patrimonial manifestations with their own characteristics. In this context, the architecture promoted by the Misericórdias to support their activity stands out. These buildings were always studied within the framework of religious architecture, given the historical and current influence of the church within the headquarters buildings of these confraternities. Based upon the research for our doctoral theses, analyzing almost two hundred buildings and several archival collections of the Misericórdias, we propose a new interpretative paradigm for these buildings, defining their complexity and identity as built ensembles – the House of Mercy (Casa da Misericórdia), and framing it within the scope of assistance architecture. By redefining conceptually the object of study and refocusing the questions of analysis, we can contribute to the valorization of this architectural heritage and contribute to the consolidation of the history and heritage of health as a field of study.