This page lists items in the database related to the Portuguese Joaquim Ferreira dos Santos, better known as Conde de Ferreira, who donated his great fortune in order to raise a new Hospital to treat people with mental issues. This first Hospital created in Portugal to treat mental issues was named Hospital Conde de Ferreira (b. Porto, Portugal, 4th October 1782; d. Porto, Portugal, 24th March 1866):
Biography
Joaquim Ferreira dos Santos, Conde de Ferreira, was the fifth son of João Ferreira dos Santos and Ana Martins da Luz, a modest couple of farmers, Joaquim Ferreira dos Santos was born on 4th October 1782, in Vila Meã, a place in the parish of Campanhã, located on the outskirts of the city of Porto. He married D. Severa Lastra, in Brazil, a woman of Argentine nationality and of enormous wealth, from whom he had a son who died while still young.
In Brazil, the context of the French Invasions caused the weakening of commercial relations with the metropolis, forcing him to diversify his contacts. Thus, it expanded its commercial activities to Argentina, Central America, and, finally, Africa.
He returned to Portugal in 1832, where he settled permanently and distinguished himself as a benefactor and supporter of the cause of Queen D. Maria II, contributing financially to this cause. In a gesture of recognition, the monarch made him Par of the Kingdom and Baron, in 1842, Viscount, in 1843, and, finally, the Count, in 1850.
In his will, he left his enormous fortune to charities, namely the Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Porto to which he bequeathed the remainder of his inheritance which was of great importance in order to be possible to build the Hospital Conde de Ferreira.
If we want to know who Conde de Ferreira was we should go to Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis, in Oporto. The National Museum of Soares dos Reis is the oldest public art museum in the country, having been founded with the name of Museu Portuense in 1833, during the Siege of Porto, by D. Pedro IV. During the 19th century, it was linked to the Porto Academy of Fine Arts, which led to a strengthening of the relationship between the institution and artistic education. From the beginning and throughout the 19th century, the National Museum of Soares dos Reis was constituted, mainly, with painting and sculpture collection. In 1911, it received the name of Soares dos Reis Museum and in 1932 it became the National Museum. During this period, the collections of the extinct Municipal Museum of Porto and the Commercial and Industrial Museum of Porto were integrated, as well as the Mitra do Porto, giving rise to the Decorative Arts collections. In 1940, the Museum was installed in the Palácio dos Carrancas, a building from the end of the 18th century, which from the mid-19th century to the establishment of the republic served, in this city, as the residence of the Portuguese Royal Family, being later bequeathed by King Manuel II. The National Museum of Soares dos Reis presents in the permanent exhibition Portuguese painting and sculpture from the 19th century and the first half of the 20th.
The Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis has the name of one of the most famous sculptors in Oporto, António Soares dos Reis. His most famous masterpiece called O Desterrado has been made in Rome. In 1870 António Soares dos Reis visited Rome, as a scholarship holder, to study classical art. There he began the statue in white marble named O Desterrado which he finished in 1872. This work would come to be considered the most remarkable of Portuguese sculptures of the entire 19th century, combining classical technical mastery with a symbolic intimate theme. In the below image you can see the statue O Desterrado. His masterpiece is in exhibition located in the same room in front of the Statue of Conde de Ferreira.
