Santos-o-Novo Convent

The convent was built on the place where John II of Portugal ordered the construction of a monastery in 1470. The current building was put up during the reign of Filipe II  for the Commendators of the Order of Santiago. The convent followed the principles of the Mannerism and Baroque styles. It was partially destroyed by the 1755 earthquake and underwent subsequent extensive restoration works. It has an imposing cloister with a large square plan and the hallways open in round arches that lead to the chapels. The tile panels and the exquisite decorative elements in marble and gilded woodwork in the single nave deserve especial attention. The convent was made redundant after the extinction of the religious orders, and from 1910 onwards the building gained new functions as a primary school and later as the Sidónio Pais Institute. It is currently a shelter under the administration of the Misericórdia de Lisboa, but still preserves the convent space, the cloister, the church and other adjacent volumes.