Last week, my dear friend Cris Gonzalez and I decided to visit the famous Sanatorio de Valongo, supposedly one of the most haunted places in Portugal. Obviously, neither of us believe in ghosts or demons or whatever nonsense people make up, but we do appreciate exploring places that tell a story or several stories of human deeds, some of them quite eerie and buildings that once were majestic and beautiful and now are forgotten, abandoned, neglected, vandalized, but somehow still are able to show a bit of its grandeur and uniqueness.
Here´s a small text that tells the story of the place:
"The Valongo Sanatorium, also known as the Mont'Alto Sanatorium, is situated in Serra de Santa Justa, in Valongo. It was active between 1958 and 1975 and it hosted numerous patients with tuberculosis, some having died in that place of horrifying forms. About 350 people were hospitalized at the same time, although the initial capacity was limited to 50 beds. After its closure, it was plundered, vandalized and damaged by fires. It is currently abandoned, being a popular spot in the region for paintball enthusiasts. Intrinsically related to this site are legends and rumors related to ghosts, drug trafficking and satanic rituals." , in PÚBLICO
And here´s a video from ATPN (Assistência aos Tuberculosos do Norte de Portugal) a non profit organization who owns the place and that aims to support children, youth and families in health, education, culture, sports and community intervention in which the coordinator and the president of the organization explain the history of the building and the plans regarding the same:
So, basically this is a building that was constructed so as to battle tuberculosis, a disease that at the time plagued the Portuguese people. There are reports of mistreatment and abuse, as in many other places and of patients who died there horribly, as well, as in many other places.
In spite of being abandoned, this is a place often visited by curious, paintball practitioners and even newlyweds to make photographic sessions.
Because human imagination is extremely fertile, myths and legends have emerged and some say that the place is haunted and that it is a place where satanic cults are practiced.
Honestly, I found the place very peaceful and soothing. Those lovely mountain surroundings and all that gorgeous nature are a heavenly balm for the soul. It's wonderful to be there, away from everything, from all the confusion, all the people and being close to what is real and true: the nature, the animals. I could see beyond the decay, beyond the rubble, I could see life and beauty and I found it to be a magical place.
Besides, for one who is a photograph enthusiast like me, you can really take amazing photos there because you can explore exactly that duality: life vs death; beauty vs horror; light vs darkness... It´s brilliant...
However, the basement of the building IS sinister, because it has a lot of rubble, it's very dark, it's quite burned by he fires and it really looks like a horror movie scene.
I confess that when we descended, I experienced an adrenaline rush, and even though I don´t believe in any of that stuff, ghosts or demons, I do believe in evil, I know that it is very real and very human, so I was totally ready to use the weapon we took to defend Cris and myself, especially because Cris was dressed in a white dress and looked exactly like the innocent girl of the horror movie that gets sacrificed by evil. LOL.
Everything turned out ok and it was a great experience that made us feel alive and realize that we are fearless women, curious even though a little crazy, but that is part of our charm...
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