Thermal Hospital in Caldas da Rainha
The Thermal Hospital of Caldas da Rainha was founded by Queen Leonor at the end of the 15th century. According to legend, she discovered the waters by chance when she saw people bathing in a pool where the hospital would later be built.
Aware of the healing power of the waters, which she is said to have used herself, the queen created a hospital based solely on thermal treatment, mainly for those who could not afford to pay.
It stands in Largo Rainha D. Leonor, known locally as Largo do Termal, and was completely remodelled in the 18th century after King João V came to Caldas to take the waters. The work is attributed to the engineer Manuel da Maia, later one of the men behind the rebuilding of Lisbon after the 1755 earthquake.
In the 1890s, under the administration of the architect Rodrigo Berquó, it was renovated again and gained its third and final floor.
Visits must be booked in advance through the Hospital and Caldas Museum.
