House of the Foundling Wheel

Castelo Mendo

In 1783, during the reign of Queen Maria I, Foundling Wheels, associated with the Santas Casas (charity institutions), were established in the cities and towns of the Kingdom. Here, abandoned young children were welcomed, a fate imposed by poverty, hunger, and so often, by the embarrassment of illegitimacy. The high mortality rate associated with this practice, which emerged as a response to infanticide, abortion and child abandonment, which were common practices until the 18^th century, led to its definitive extinction in 1867. The window where the foundling was left still exists in this house of the Historical Village.