Scholas Occurrentes - Conde Ferreira Schools
This building in Cascais has a few years in its history. Built at the end of the 19th century, it has already assumed different roles. There are two interesting stories that we would like to tell you: its construction and about the organization that lives here today. Let’s start with the first one. Have you noticed that the house has very unique characteristics? And have you ever seen the same or similar houses scattered throughout Portugal? Well, here it is the explanation.
At the end of the 18th century, in a poor family from Porto, Joaquim Ferreira dos Santos was born. In search of better living conditions, at just 18 years old, this young man left for Brazil, where he worked as a trader. From business to business, he got into the slave trade and made fortune. He bought slaves on the Angolan coast and sold them in Brazil, to the owners of the mills, in exchange for the sugar produced there, which he later sold at very high profits.
The withdrawal of the royal family to Brazil (1807) and the resulting end of the Colonial Pact (1808), in another words, the opening of Brazilian ports to trade with other countries, must have been very good for him. If until then merchants in Brazil could only buy and sell within the so-called Portuguese Empire, now they could buy and sell whatever they wanted to any country in Europe. For the merchants based in European Portugal, this meant the loss of monopoly and many profits. For the merchants based in Brazil, this meant an immensity of new markets and a lot of new profits.
https://filantropia.tv/biografias-conde-de-ferreira/
The years went by and, fortunately, mentalities also had changed. The slave trade began to be frowned upon and fingers began to be pointed at those who practiced it. With people calling him a slave trader, Ferreira returned to Porto in the 1930s. Yes, in the midst of a nasty struggle between liberals and absolutists. He continued to dedicate himself to business, but he also got into politics. The noble title of Count was attributed to him in gratitude for the monetary support given to the political cause of Queen D. Maria II (1834-53).
CMAV – Coleção – Escola Conde Ferreira “Escola do Paço”
Without direct heirs, owner of a good fortune and, who knows, with a guilty conscience, the man began to dedicate himself to philanthropy. When he died, he left a series of instructions in his will about what should be done with his money. The two main beneficiary causes were the construction of the first psychiatric hospital in Portugal, Conde de Ferreira’s Hospital, which still exists today; and, education. Confident that instruction would contribute to the progress of the communities, he left a great amount of funds for the construction of primary schools in villages and county headquarters across the country, albeit with very specific requirements. All these schools should be free and open to both sexes. They had to include a house for the teacher and to have the same plan and architectural lines. The main façade would have a small pediment and a bell. In various places where these schools were built, it was the first and only opportunity that many children had to learn to read and write. The inscription dated March 24, 1866, which can still be seen today above the entrance door, corresponds to the date of death of the Count of Ferreira.
Well, the subject of this article is one of those many schools spread across the country, built with the funds left by Conde Ferreira. Of the 120 schools planned in the will, 90 were built. Today, there are still 70 of these buildings and most of which are house of organizations dedicated to teaching or to cultural and social causes.
It all makes sense. The organization that today work in this building in Cascais embraces all these causes. The Scholas Occurrentes International Movement, founded in 2001 by the then Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio, today, Pope Francis. It was created in Argentina, where the pope is from, at a time of economic difficulties and enormous political and social tensions. Currently has headquarters in Portugal, in the Vatican City, Argentina, Spain, Paraguay and Mozambique.
The organization works in collaboration with schools and educational communities. It aims to bring together young people, regardless of their origins or religion, but above all, to work on their sense of community and active citizenship, so that they become, themselves, agents of integration and change in their communities.
https://www.infobae.com/espana/2023/08/03/el-papa-francisco-da-la-ultima-pincelada-a-la-capilla-sixtina-de-la-juventud/
On this day that we are writing this article, August 3, 2023, the Pope’s visit to the place to put the last brush on the largest canvas in the world will also go down to the history of the place. About 3.5 km long and with the participation of around 3500 young people, this work of art intends to show the world that collaboration and community life, where everyone listens to each other and celebrates life, is a possible reality.
Informations:
- Website : Scholas Ocurrentes
References:
- https://scholasoccurrentes.org/pt/nosotros 03/08/2023
- https://forum.pt/estudantes/a-maior-obra-de-arte-do-mundo-vai-ser-criada-em-cascais-durante-a-jornada-mundial-da-juventude 03/08/2023
- https://sites.google.com/scholasoccurrentes.org/vidaentremundos/inicio?authuser=0 03/08/2023
- https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joaquim_Ferreira_dos_Santos,_1.º_Conde_de_Ferreira 03/08/2023
- https://viagens.sapo.pt/viajar/viajar-portugal/artigos/as-escolas-conde-de-ferreira-foram-as-primeiras-escolas-publicas-em-muitos-concelhos-e-hoje-tem-novas-funcoes
- https://etcetaljornal.pt/j/2019/04/joaquim-ferreira-dos-santos-o-conde-de-ferreira/ 03/08/2023
- https://www.dn.pt/edicao-do-dia/13-jun-2020/o-traficante-de-escravos-que-ofereceu-120-escolas-a-portugal-12304915.html 03/08/2023
Additional Photos:
Website cover e sociais:
- https://chafariz.weebly.com/a-escola-conde-ferreira.html