Category: Civil Architecture > Museum
Located in the historic center of Beja, the museum occupies the former Hospital Grande de Nossa Senhora da Piedade, also known as Hospital da Misericórdia. The complex belongs to the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Beja and the building is classified as a National Monument.
Integrated into the typical urban layout of the Alentejo, the space is situated between quiet streets and white houses. The surroundings are marked by historic buildings and a human scale that invites exploration on foot.
The hospital was commissioned in 1490 by D. Manuel I, then Duke of Beja. The building reflects the transition from Gothic to Manueline, visible in the ornate windows and rooms with groin vaults. In the corridors, 19th-century tiles recall the healthcare function that was carried out here.
The museum preserves the memory of the pharmaceutical and medical practices that served the city and the region. Elements such as the main chapel with a stone chancel arch and functional areas of the former hospital help to understand the long history of the place.
The rooms feature furniture from the former hospital and a complete apothecary. Dark wooden cabinets with labeled drawers, shelves filled with glass and ceramic jars, precision scales with weights, mortars, pestles, and utensils used in the preparation of medicines can be observed. Among the notable items are X-ray machines, vision charts, suppository molds, and anatomical illustrations.
The exhibition setup recreates the daily life of a historic pharmacy. The space is highlighted by the central stone counter, the black and white mosaic floor, display cases with bench instruments, and jars labeled in Portuguese and Latin, creating a detailed atmosphere that helps to understand how remedies were prepared and dispensed in past times.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 38.01657461441855,-7.865928008709003
Coordinates DMS: 38°00'59.7"N 07°51'57.3"W
