“It’s a space that can showcase the wealth of the first psychiatric hospital in Portugal,” said petitioner Pedro Janarra, urging the reopening of the museum in the Pavilhão de Segurança, also known as the Panóptico, at Hospital Miguel Bombarda.
Opened in 1848, Hospital Miguel Bombarda has been closed since 2010.
The representative from Fórum Cidadania Lx commented that “the Panóptico is unique in the world” and highlighted the collection of “more than 15,000 pieces” from the former psychiatric hospital, including 518 items pending classification, 2,400 photographs and manuscripts, as well as an inventory of 18th-century tiles in the Salão Nobre.
This is the second petition by Fórum Cidadania Lx for the reopening of the Museum of Patient Art and Neuroscience, following the initial petition in 2014 and the second in 2023, as noted by municipal deputy Daniela Serralha, who is in charge of the civic participation initiative report.
Indicating that the former hospital is managed by the public company Estamo, which took “nearly a year” to respond to the Lisbon Municipal Assembly’s (AML) request to visit this public property, achieved in October 2024, Daniela Serralha stated that the estate is earmarked for affordable housing, with sections for cultural purposes or municipal allocations.
Independent deputy Daniela Serralha, elected by the Citizens for Lisbon coalition (PS/Livre), mentioned that an urban operation is conditioned upon prior approval of the Preliminary Information Request (PIP), which is under review by municipal services, adding that it is expected the Panóptico will be assigned to the city council “under the condition it becomes a cultural facility.”
Regarding this, Daniela Serralha urged the city council to expedite the PIP response, especially since it includes affordable housing, and to put pressure on Estamo to ensure asset preservation and maintenance.
Unanimously, the AML recommended that the city council engage with the government to “halt the degradation of the former Hospital Miguel Bombarda’s structure” and to preserve its entirety for the reopening of the Museum of Patient Art and Neuroscience in the Pavilhão de Segurança.
“Regardless of the hospital’s future structure,” the AML further requested the city council to “monitor and take appropriate actions to protect classified buildings, specifically the Pavilhão de Segurança/Panóptico, Salão Central, and Balneário D. Maria II.”
Vowing to support the AML’s “concerns,” councilman Diogo Moura (CDS-PP), on behalf of the municipal executive president Carlos Moedas (PSD), emphasized the city’s goal to, “alongside the Government,” reclaim heritage and cultural spaces, including those of Hospital Miguel Bombarda.
Concerning the PIP and the planned urban intervention for this public property, Diogo Moura disclosed that it “is being re-evaluated” regarding Estamo’s proposal to provide buildings to the city council “for educational and cultural facilities,” notably concerning rehabilitation and maintenance costs.
PEV’s deputy Sobreda Antunes warned that “given Estamo’s and the governmental stewardship’s ongoing apparent disinterest, the more likely scenario is the museological and hospital space will remain neglected and deteriorate until possibly becoming yet another luxury hotel.”
Addressing concerns about potential “mass tourism” use, PAN’s Isabel Carmo argued that the museum in the old hospital represents an opportunity to tackle mental health issues.
Jorge Nuno Sá, from Aliança, emphasized the need for city facilities dedicated to mental health.
Leonor Moniz Pereira, of PCP, insisted that the architectural and museological assets of the old hospital “should be restored and preserved,” with IL’s Rodrigo Mello Gonçalves concurring.
