Category: Civil Architecture > Museum
District: Castelo Branco > Belmonte > Caria
In the tranquil locality of Caria, integrated into the municipality of Belmonte, the Casa da Roda is delicately situated within its urban environment. Its discreet arrangement, far from the most curious glances, was an essential characteristic of these institutions, designed to safeguard the identity of mothers who, in times past, deposited their children there. The surrounding village of Caria, with its traditional layout, offers a serene setting conducive to reflection on the history of this unique place.
The Casa da Roda of Caria is a building of simple design, comprising a single floor and constructed of stone. Its north facade displays an unusual window, above which the date 1784 is engraved, marking the year of its construction. It is in this opening that the most symbolic element of the building is found: the wheel. It was a hollow, rotating wooden cylinder that allowed children to be delivered without the identities of those involved being revealed. This mechanism typically had two compartments: one for the newborn and another for any personal items accompanying it, a gesture that once might have served as a link for future recognition.
This building represents an important page in Portuguese social history. In the 18th century, faced with the reality of child abandonment, Queen D. Maria I instituted the creation of Casas da Roda in various towns and cities. The objective was to offer a safe and anonymous refuge for newborn, orphaned, or unsustainably supported children, thus seeking to combat infanticide. Deliveries were generally made at night, and a bell, connected to the wheel, alerted the responsible staff inside. The details of each delivery were carefully recorded in specific books, known as "Livros dos Expostos" (Books of the Exposed), documenting the lives of these children from their earliest moments.
Upon entering the Casa da Roda, visitors are invited to explore a small exhibition dedicated to the theme of these historic houses. The space holds documents and various objects that illustrate the experiences of the children who passed through there and the functioning of the institution. Among the exhibited pieces are cribs, a blue one for boys and a pink one for girls, and glass feeding bottles, silent testimonies to the conditions and care provided. The exhibition seeks to shed light on the reality of an era when child abandonment was a social concern, and the Casa da Roda an attempted response, despite the high mortality that unfortunately characterized most of the "exposed" (foundlings).
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 40.2962066,-7.3621374
Coordinates DMS: 40°17'46.3"N 07°21'43.7"W
Weather Caria
On-duty Pharmacy Caria
