Santa Casa opens an exhibition tracing nearly a century of the history of Mitra
The exhibition “Speaking Gates – The Mitra of Lisbon” brings together documents, photographs, artefacts and personal accounts that illustrate the development of this social initiative aimed at the most vulnerable sections of the population.
On Tuesday, the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa opened the exhibition “Portões que Falam – The Mitra of Lisbon”, an initiative by the institution which invites visitors to revisit almost a century of history at the former Albergue da Mitra and to understand the transformation of social services in Portugal and in the city.
At the opening ceremony, attended by the Provedor of Santa Casa, Paulo Sousa, and the institution’s directors, Ângela Guerra, Luís Rego and André Brandão de Almeida, the Provedor highlighted the importance of preserving this memory and understanding the journey of Portuguese society in the way it has responded to poverty, exclusion, illness, disability and old age.
“Few places in Lisbon hold such a powerful social memory as the Mitra,” said the Provedor, emphasising that, over the course of almost a century, “thousands of men, women and children have passed through that space during particularly difficult times in their lives”.
The exhibition brings together historical documents, photographs, heritage artefacts and personal accounts that shed light on the different phases of Mitra’s history, from its establishment as a place of shelter and care to its integration into the Misericórdia de Lisboa.
For Paulo Sousa, learning about this history enables us to understand the evolution of the concept of social protection and to recognise the transformation in the way we view human beings and their rights. “Behind the archives and historical records, there have always been human lives, each with their own dignity,” he emphasised.
The Provedor also highlighted Santa Casa’s responsibility in preserving this heritage, stating that the exhibition “is not just about Mitra. It speaks of the society we once were, the society we are now, and the society we wish to continue building”.
The opening also featured a performance by the Public Security Police Symphonic Band, a musical moment that marked the occasion.
The exhibition is the result of a collaborative effort involving various organisations, including Câmara Municipal de Lisboa, the Marvila Parish Council, the Public Security Police, the Torre do Tombo National Archives, the Higher Institute of Social Work, Lusíada University, the Marvila School Group, Cascais City Council, Quinta do Pisão, the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Cascais and the Ephemera Archive.
“Portões que Falam – A Mitra de Lisboa” is open to the public until 22 December 2026, at Rua do Açúcar, Beco da Mitra, 64, in Lisbon. It can be visited on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, between 10.00 and 18.00. Admission is free.
