Courtyard Marioneta, Lisbon

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❖Courtyard Marioneta, Lisbon, Portugal, 2017[open in full screen]

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This courtyard is one of many similar ones in convents all over Portugal. In strict sense it is not public square but it is still included here because it is public today and because it has very interesting history.

Convento das Bernardas, where it is located, was founded in 1653 and dedicated to Our Lady of Nazareth. The convent closed in 1655. The 1755 earthquake almost completely destroyed the building but it was rebuilt in 1758. In 1786 the nuns moved back to the convent where they stayed until 1834. In 1834, as a result of the extinction of the Religious Orders, the building is sold to private individuals.

It was used initially as a high school, then until 1893 as Academic College. Later it become a cinema-theater, where fado singer Hermínia Silva debuted precisely in the place where the old church was. The convent also served as a philharmonic seat until it was fully occupied with dwellings, mostly used by low-income families. The cloister was filled up entirely by the diverse fishing equipment of the residents. The church in turn served as a furniture warehouse.

The entire space was greatly altered through various architectural interventions. In 1998 it was acquired by the Lisbon Municipal Council and expertly rehabilitated.

Main occupant of the building today is very exciting Museu da Marioneta, only Portuguese museum solely dedicated to the interpretation of the history of puppets. There is also a restaurant located in the old nuns' dining room, just as in the cloister. The church today functions as a showroom and the old shops. In its interior there is also a day center and a leisure center where several recreational activities are developed in partnership with the Museum of Puppets.

Unlike many other convents the Bernardas still maintains their housing function and as part of it public function of the courtyard with somewhat strange atmosphere.

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❖..c l a s s i f i c a t i o n ... s y s t e m..❖
more about evaluation method		more about types of squares
sociability	7	ceremonial	x
uses & activities	7	religious	x
access & linkages	6	social	x
comfort	7	residential	x
image	7	court yard	x
tourist value	8	with park	x
total	43	street, shopping	x