Searched place at the end of the 19th century for the cure of pulmonary tuberculosis
Sousa Martins, a noted doctor in the fight against tuberculosis, considered in 1881 the healthiest place in the country thanks to its clean air
The consequence of his interest in this place was the construction of a cluster of chalets with sanatorial characteristics.
Thus, it appears in Penhas Douradas at the end of the 19th century the first mountain resort in Portugal
Built here the second meteorological observatory, which was initially located in a rudimentary building about 1km
the first observatory was a rough, rectangular hut, covered in zinc sheets without being overlaid
served as the first refuge for César Henriques, the first tuberculosis patient to seek the Penhas Douradas
the observatory was the result of an expedition to Serra da Estrela, in which it was intended to study the climate conditions for lung diseases
Dr. Sousa Martins believed that in this mountains there were favorable conditions for the creation of sanatoriums for the climaotherapeutic cure
César Henriques, 30 years old, built his own house, the famous "Casa da Fraga", taking advantage of the rocks existing in the place
After two years of climatic treatment, in 1984, Cesar Henriques declared himself officially cured of tuberculosis
two years after its cure, the house was destroyed by a fire caused by an electric lightning strike
it is the first private house in Penhas Douradas. There were still no access roads
until 1884, the Penhas Douradas was a deserted and uninhabited place, the only existing buildings were the observatory and this private house
Work of a mason who sought the cure in Penhas Douradas, having died shortly after finishing it
The first buildings were huts with simple walls of poorly overlapping pine slats, of which there are no more examples
the next generation was that of double-walled wooden chalets lined externally with corrugated sheet metal
Built in 1888, it is one of the most emblematic, being owned by the family of a political figure from the first Portuguese republic
this politician diagnosed in 1897 with tuberculosis, rented this chalet. In 1902 he decided to acquire it, naming it after his wife, Alzira
later, granite chalets appeared, although extreme weather conditions require at least the use of metal roofing
built in 1927, in the place where there was already a building where the tuberculosis deceased in Penhas Douradas were buried
here was the first sanatorium of Penhas Douradas, which was destroyed by fire
the Vale do Rossim dam is located on the Ribeira da Fervença, and started operating in 1956
