Santa Casa da Misericórdia is a

charitable institution A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definition of a cha ...

whose mission is to treat and support the sick, the disabled, and orphans. Founded in

Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

in 1498 by Queen Leonor of Portugal, the institution grew into a network of charitable organizations spanning across the

Portuguese Empire The Portuguese Empire was a colonial empire that existed between 1415 and 1999. In conjunction with the Spanish Empire, it ushered in the European Age of Discovery. It achieved a global scale, controlling vast portions of the Americas, Africa ...

and there are now Santas Casas da Misericórdia located across

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

, and the rest of the Portuguese-speaking world.

History

Early origins

The institution traces its official foundation to 1498, when Queen Leonor opened the Misericórdia of Lisbon. Recently made a widow by the death of King John II of Portugal, the Queen had begun dedicating herself intensely to the sick, poor, orphans, prisoners, artists, and sponsored the founding of the brotherhood, based on the model of previous Italian charities, first founded in Florence in 1244. The operations of the ''Misericórdia'' were overseen by 30

noblemen Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. Th ...

and 30 laymen in charge of carrying out the 14 Works of Mercy which the Misericórdia committed itself to. At the encouragement of King

Manuel I of Portugal Manuel I (; 31 May 146913 December 1521), known as the Fortunate (), was King of Portugal from 1495 to 1521. A member of the House of Aviz, Manuel was Duke of Beja and Viseu prior to succeeding his cousin, John II of Portugal, as monarch. Manu ...

, and his successors, similar organizations were created in many other cities and towns of Portugal and of the former Portuguese Empire, like in

Macau Macau or Macao is a special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most List of countries and dependencies by p ...

and even in

Nagasaki , officially , is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Founded by the Portuguese, the port of Portuguese_Nagasaki, Nagasaki became the sole Nanban trade, port used for tr ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. The performance of these institutions had two phases: the first one comprised the period from the mid-eighteenth century to 1837, of a charitable nature; the second, from 1838 to 1940, with concerns of a philanthropic nature.

Expansion across the Portuguese Empire

The first Santa Casa to be established in

was established in 1539, in the city of

Olinda Olinda () is a historic city in Pernambuco, Brazil, in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region. It is located on the country's northeastern Atlantic Ocean coast, in the Recife metropolitan area, Metropolitan Region of Recife, the state ca ...

, in the colony of New Lusitania, which was the first hospital in

Colonial Brazil Colonial Brazil (), sometimes referred to as Portuguese America, comprises the period from 1500, with the Discovery of Brazil, arrival of the Portuguese, until 1815, when Brazil was elevated to a United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves ...

. The Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Macau, in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, was established in 1569. The Santa Casa de Misericórdia of Luanda, in

Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...

, was established in 1628.

Today

The ''União das Misericórdias Portuguesas'' (UMP) ( in Portuguese) provides additional information on the ''Misericórdias'' in Portugal and throughout the world. Currently, there ar
388
active ''Misericórdias'' in Portugal and over 2000 similar organizations in Brazil.União das Misericórdias Portuguesas (UMP): https://www.ump.pt/Home/misericordias/misericordias-no-mundo/ Accessed 23 April 2019

Beliefs

The "14

Works of Mercy Works of mercy (sometimes known as acts of mercy) are practices considered meritorious in Christian ethics. The practice is popular in the Catholic Church as an act of both penance and charity. In addition, the Methodist church teaches that th ...

" which the Santa Casa da Misericórdia commits itself to are split into seven of spiritual nature and seven of corporeal nature.''Fidalgos and Philanthropists: The Santa Casa Da Misericórdia of Bahia 1550-1755''
Google books. Accessed 9 August 2016 The seven of spiritual nature are: and seven of corporeal nature: All works have their roots in Christian doctrine, found in biblical texts of the Gospel of St. Matthew and the Epistles of St. Paul and other doctors of the Catholic Church. To do this, the fellowship often does not need to have a physical institution, enforcing the fourteen works on the streets, in prisons, etc.

Santas Casas around the world

File:Holy House of Mercy of Macau.jpg, Santa Casa of Macau, China File:Largo Trindade Coelho (14028749473).jpg, Santa Casa of Lisbon, Portugal File:Foto-da-Santa-Casa-1200x603.jpg, Santa Casa of Sobral, Brazil File:The Old Hospital, Ponta Delgada (16243492733).jpg, Santa Casa of

Ponta Delgada Ponta Delgada (; ) is the largest municipality (''concelho'') and executive capital of the Autonomous Region of the Azores in Portugal. It is located on São Miguel Island, the largest and most populous in the archipelago. As of 2021, it has 67,2 ...

, Azores File:Igreja e Hospital da Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Santarém.jpg, Santa Casa of Santarém, Portugal File:Sede Institucional da Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo - Hospital Central.png, Santa Casa of

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

, Brazil File:Sao Tome Banco Internacional de Sao Tome e Principe (16247128161).jpg, Santa Casa of

São Tomé São Tomé is the capital and largest city of the Central African island country of São Tomé and Príncipe. Its name is Portuguese for " Saint Thomas". Founded in the 15th century, it is one of Africa's oldest colonial cities. History Álv ...

, São Tomé & Príncipe File:Santacasa.jpg, Santa Casa of

Porto Alegre Porto Alegre (, ; , ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian Federative units of Brazil, state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population of roughly 1.4 million inhabitants (2022) makes it the List of largest cities in Brazil, 11th-most p ...

, Brazil File:Largo São Domingos, Porto, Portugal (42859619491).jpg, Santa Casa of

Porto Porto (), also known in English language, English as Oporto, is the List of cities in Portugal, second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto c ...

, Portugal File:View_over_Harbour_Area_from_Hotel_Arthemis_-_Salvador_-_Brazil.jpg, Santa Casa of Salvador, Brazil *

: ** Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Luanda ** Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Huambo *

: ** Santa Casa da Misericórdia de

**Santa Casa de Misericórdia de

** Santa Casa de Misericórdia of Feira de Santana **Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Vitória *

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

: ** Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Pamplona ** Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Barcelona ** Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Bilbao ** Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Azpeitia ** Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Olivença (Portugal) ** Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Ávila ** Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Alcuéscar (Cáceres) ** Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Tudela *

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

: ** Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Paris *

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

: ** Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Florença * Luxemburg: ** Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Luxemburgo * Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China: ** Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Macau () *

Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...

: ** Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Maputo *

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

: ** Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Belém * Islands of São Tomé e Príncipe: ** Santa Casa da Misericórdia de São Tomé e Príncipe *

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

: ** Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Kiev

References

External links

União das Misericórdias Portuguesas (UMP)Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa (SCML)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Santa Casa Da Misericordia Charities based in Portugal Fraternities and sororities in Portugal 1498 establishments in Portugal 15th-century Catholicism