Sanitarium Mont`Alto – Valongo

Description

The Sanitarium Mont`Alto is located in the hills of Santa Justa in Valongo municipality, having been designed by the architect and engineer José Júlio de Brito. Treated the last sanatorium built in Portugal by the New State.

Typology
Sanatorium treatment focused on tubercolose

Location
Monte de Santa Justa, county Valongo

Date of Visit
12-01-2015

Home Use
Hospital

Historical Notes

The start of construction of the Sanatorium Mont`Alto occurred in the year 1932. Due to the emergence of a large number of people had contracted the tubercolose, there was the need to expand the facility, with these expansion work completed in 1958. The construction of these hospitals were carried out in high altitudes, due to air cleanliness, and also stay clear of people to avoid the contagion effects.

The structure of this large sanatorium had the existence of a chapel, a school and even a building serving laundry. This unit has come to accommodate and treat daily over three hundred patients, and terminated its activity in the year 1975.

Due to the fact that we have found cure for this disease, the input of the number of patients was substantially reduced motivating the closed as well as other existing sanatoriums in Portugal. Only in the Caramulo mountains were closed one dozen of them. The closure of these units pushed to a slow death the economy of some villages who lived at the expense of their trade.

In 1974, after the Revolution of 25 April, its facilities were attacked, plundered and vandalized by left-most elements. Since then the degradation has been a constant, so currently there is only concrete walls and very degraded.

In the days, this sanatorium and its surrounding areas, are a great attraction for war game scenarios and training ground for all paintball enthusiasts.

In addition, the fact that their land has natural obstacles, passionate for motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles here are a good place to demonstrate their skill in conducting.

Finally we only need to, that due to the high number of deaths that occurred by this disease Sanatorium, many people look for it to exercise paranormal activities.

 

Note: Some information was taken from Ruinarte blog.

And now photos…