By GoCaldas Team●25 May 2020
A Bath in Warm Waters on the Way to Batalha, a Hospital for the Poor and a City with Her Name: Queen Leonor, Founder of Caldas da Rainha
In the 15th century, Queen Leonor ordered the building of the Thermal Hospital around which the city grew. Meet the founder, the legend of the waters and the places where she is still honoured today.
Queen Leonor, founder of the city of Caldas da Rainha
The “Perfect” Queen Leonor
The most important figure in our city’s history is none other than Queen Leonor (1458–1525), our founder. She built the Thermal Hospital, around which today’s city grew, and the city’s name, “the Queen’s hot springs”, refers to her.
Leonor was born in Beja in 1458. Before becoming queen through her marriage in 1481 to the future King João II, who was her first cousin (yes, you read that right!), she was already a princess of the House of Avis. She was the great-granddaughter of King João I (1385–1433), the Master of Avis, and the granddaughter of the first Duke of Bragança, Afonso, who was married to Beatriz Pereira, daughter of Nuno Álvares Pereira, Constable of the Kingdom and King João I’s right-hand man at the Battle of Aljubarrota. We find it confusing too, but royal marriages between relatives were the norm!
Queen Leonor, the founder
To add to the confusion, Leonor was only the third, and last, queen consort born in Portugal. She was also the first member of the Portuguese royal family to belong to the House of Bragança, which became Portugal’s ruling house after the Restoration of Independence in 1640.
And there is more. When João II died in 1495, he and Leonor left no heir to the throne: their only son had died young in a riding accident. The crown passed to Leonor’s brother, who was also João II’s cousin: King Manuel I (1495–1521), who would also play an important role in the history of our town.
Now that we have introduced our founder and untangled her family tree, let us see how Leonor’s link with Caldas da Rainha came about.
Legend has it that on her way from Óbidos to the Monastery of Batalha, for the funeral ceremonies of King Afonso V (father of João II, and Leonor’s uncle and father-in-law), the queen came across a group of people bathing in pools by the road. When she asked what they were doing, she was told that the waters eased their ailments and made them feel better.
The story of a Thermal Hospital said to be the first in the world
From there it was a short step to building what many consider the first thermal hospital in the world. Leonor paid for it herself, and work began in 1484.
The generous queen also wrote its rules, known as the Queen’s Commitment and published in 1512, which stated that the hospital would treat the poor and needy of the kingdom free of charge.
That same year, Leonor’s brother, King Manuel I, granted Caldas da Rainha its town charter. This confirmed the town’s rapid growth and importance and, above all, made it independent from Óbidos, to which it had belonged until then under the name Caldas de Óbidos.
We owe our very existence to Leonor’s work and generosity. Besides the city’s name, many other tributes to the queen have been made over the centuries, and some of them can still be seen today.
As the Thermal Hospital was the reason the city was founded and is Leonor’s main legacy, it officially bears her name, as does the square where it stands.
Then there is the “Rainha”, the main tribute to Leonor: a statue of the founder by Francisco Franco, unveiled in 1935. Since then it has overshadowed the official name of the square, which honours the Count of Fontalva, an important local figure of the early 20th century.
Largo Conde de Fontalva
It is in this square, by the statue of Leonor, that the official ceremonies of 15 May, the city’s day and municipal holiday, take place, in thanks for all the care she gave to this land and its waters.
The plaster model for the statue is part of the sculpture collection of the José Malhoa Museum, a must-see both for the quality of its art and for its setting in the heart of Parque D. Carlos I.
The museum’s painting collection also includes a portrait of Queen Leonor by José Malhoa himself, who was born in Caldas da Rainha. He painted it in 1926 at the invitation of António Montez, with a triple purpose: to honour Leonor, to bring Malhoa closer to his home town and to decorate the main hall of the local Industrial and Commercial Association.
There is no doubt about Leonor’s importance to our town, and Caldas da Rainha has been showing its gratitude for her generosity for more than 500 years.
Recommended guided tour
Best of Caldas da Rainha with a local guide
Discover the historic centre, the Thermal Hospital and Praça da Fruta with a local guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded Caldas da Rainha?
Queen Leonor (1458–1525), wife of King João II, who had the Thermal Hospital built from 1484. The city grew around it.
When is the Caldas da Rainha municipal holiday?
On 15 May, the city’s day. Official ceremonies take place by the statue of Queen Leonor in Largo Conde de Fontalva.
Where is the statue of Queen Leonor?
In Largo Conde de Fontalva, which locals simply call “Rainha”. The statue is by Francisco Franco and was unveiled in 1935.
More history of Caldas da Rainha
- King Carlos I and Caldas da Rainha
- Rodrigo Berquó, the man of the waters
- José Malhoa, the naturalist painter
- Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro in Caldas da Rainha
- Francisco Grandella and Foz do Arelho
- Caldas da Rainha ceramics
This article was put together by the GoCaldas team, the local travel guide to Caldas da Rainha.