A care institution founded by last will and testament of Father Luís António da Cruz, in 1848, began to function more fully in 1853, having as headquarters the property which was the house of the testator himself, situated in the then called street of Carreteiros, nowadays street Padre Luís António da Cruz. The building, of great dimensions, is attributed by Túlio Espanca to the last third of the 18^th century. It stemmed from the joining of two buildings that communicated with one another in the inside and were divided by a wall in the garden, where there was a common well to both properties. In one of them was the chapel of Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Our Lady of Conception), which still exists to this day. In 1852 the building with the chapel was evaluated in 800.000 portuguese réis and the other, contiguous, in 504.000 portuguese réis.
In the will, dated from the 16^th September 1848, Father Cruz left a small part of what he possessed to particular people, with whom he maintained closer relationships, and destined most of his patrimony to beneficence ends.
Among the countless clauses of his will, the following deliberations are emphasised: the construction of a chapel dedicated to the Santíssimo Sacramento (Blessed Sacrament) in Viana’s parish church (today inexistent), to which he made a donation of two thousand portuguese cruzados, as well as silvers for the execution of a ciborium and other pieces; the institution of a chapel for daily mass; the coming of four sisters of charity – to whom he leaves a fund of twelve thousand portuguese cruzados to be given with interest, as well as all the white clothes, blankets and furniture, tableware, wire and tin pieces – for them to establish an asylum in his residence to ease the pain of the sick, and that they should also teach girls how to read and write; the establishment of a Mount of piety, to which he offers all the gold that was left, that wasn’t donated to anyone, the money that exists, besides the one he has invested, and what would result of the selling of cattle, of sorts, of an oil press and the profit of the selling of a piano. Moreover, as all the properties distributed by different heirs were bequeathed only for right of use during the life of the testators, they would revert to the Mount of piety by death of each of the heirs. Therefore, with its income, the Mount of piety could lend money with interest through safe guaranties. However, every year on Holy Thursday, the Mount of piety was obliged to dress and shoe eighteen underprivileged people chosen from the parish, who should be preferred to the ones from outside. Hence, there would be helped six men and six women and six boys or girls, in a way that the same people wouldn’t be repeated, unless after three years. In the same way should be benefited the parish’s exposed until the age of 7. Of the Mount of piety’s product should be applied every years ten coins to the wax of the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament and to a celebration in its honour.
It should be noted that no reference to an Institute of Piety and Beneficence exists in this will. The initiative of establishing it must have been taken afterwards, as a way to bring together the institutions that the priest wished were created. 
Enlightening document about the Institute of Piety and Beneficence’s organic is its regulation, dated from 1852 and divided in six chapters. The first concerns the institute’s administration; the second, the sisters of charity’s asylum; the third, the schools (a kindergarten for children of both sexes and a elementary school for girls); the fourth concerned the chapel; the fifth, the Mount of piety; and the sixth, the buildings which reverted to the Institute’s total fund. These rules are mostly dispositions taken by the priest in his will, later being added some more obligations. It matters, however, to mention some aspects to better understand the activities developed by the institution.
The sisters of charity entered the service of the institution on the 16^th September 1853 and came from the Congregation of Saint Vicente de Paula, from the College of Lisbon. However, the action of this aspect of the institute is very little known. We only know, thanks to the asylum’s documentation, that it distributed food to the poor and the sick, who received it in their houses, and that the distributed food was lamb, bacon, rice and bread.
The nuns watched over the children of both sexes, with ages between 3 and 6, while their parents went to work in the fields, and taught the girls over 6, who learned to read, to write, to count, Christian religion and performed “needle works”. But we know that later the school was also divided in elementary and high school and was intended to students of both sexes. It was a free of charge school which provided nourishment to the students. In the girls’ case, and for the year of 1882, this information exists. They would receive, at least, one meal, but maybe not all students had that right.
However, as of 1862, there’s no more reference in the documentation that the nuns were still charged with the girls’ classes. Maybe they stopped ensuring their schooling.
The areas taught and assessed, still in the 19^th century and, eventually, in the beginning of the 20^th century, were: Application, Christian Doctrine, Reading, Arithmetic, Writing, Sewing and Embroidery. As we can see, a great component of preparation for the domestic life.
It is recorded, between 1896 and 1909, the existence of a Letters professor, a Math professor and a Science professor, who probably taught secondary education or high school. There would possibly be more professors of other subjects, but such reference was not found. Between 1863 and 1907 students could enrol in French, Portuguese or Latin courses, which would require the mastery of these languages, but these classes were taught by the chaplain. He also had to say mass daily in the chapel of Father Cruz’s former house and conducted the classes for boys over 6, who were also taught Religion and Moral classes. This school for boys is not mentioned in the priest’s will, nor is the schooling part of the chaplain’s assignments, according to this document. This job must have been assigned to him by the testament executors and the Institute’s administrators.
About the money given with interest from the Institute's coffers, we can verify that the geographical scope of the institution extended to places such as Aguiar, Alcáçovas, Vila Nova da Baronia, Alvito, Cuba, Mourão and Évora.
The clothes distributed to the poor went to the smallest detail with the granting of hats, socks and scarves. There was even concern that the clothing and footwear should be tailor-made for each person and, if they were not satisfied, they should complain for the garments to be changed. There are thousands of requirements from people who, for decades, asked the institution to be benefitted on Holy Thursday, claiming poverty, unemployment, widowhood or extended family. Clothing and footwear for the poor were bought to whom provided these products at the lowest price.
The Blessed Sacrament chapel was concluded in 1851 and the first Blessed festival occurred at the 8^th December of the same year. However, it was demolished in 1942 by resolve of the General Directorate of National Buildings and Monuments. 
On 27^th September 1859 Father Luís António da Cruz’s bones were transferred from the village cemetery to a mausoleum in Viana’s Parish Church, where they still remain to this day.
The Institute of Piety and Beneficence also had influence in the parceling of lands in Viana. In 1881 the Estate of Montinho do Palanque, which belonged to the Institute after the passing of the beneficial owner Francisco Barata, was divided in croplands; and in 1892 was the Estate of Cega Gatos’ turn, which had belonged to Domingos José Fialho. Later, this institution contributed to the division of the property with the Estate de Famais, in 1920, and with the Estate dos Marmelos, in 1924.
By order of the Ministry of Social Affairs, on 6^th January 1979, published in the Government Gazette, the Institute of Piety and Beneficence was extinguished and integrated with all its assets and valuables in the Santa Casa da Misericórdia (Holy House of Mercy) of Viana do Alentejo. Therefore, in the former house of Father Luís António da Cruz, later headquarters of the Institute of Piety and Beneficence, operates nowadays one of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia’s homes, commonly known as home of the "Casa Pia". 
 

REFERENCES
ESPANCA, Túlio, Inventário Artístico de Portugal: Distrito de Évora: Concelhos de Alandroal, Borba, Mourão, Portel, Redondo, Reguengos de Monsaraz, Viana do Alentejo e Vila Viçosa, Lisboa, Academia Nacional de Belas-Artes, 1978,Tomo IX, Vol. 1.
FARRICA, Fátima, No Espaço e no Tempo: Contributos para a História das Instituições de Viana do Alentejo (Séculos XIV-XX), Casal de Cambra, Caleidiscópio, 2015.