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The Recolhimento de São José de Lagoa, also known as Convento de São José, was built in the early 18th century (18). A Recolhimento is a building where a group of religious women decide to live in a community, making simple vows instead of solemn vows, as happens in a convent. In 1834, a law was passed in Portugal that ordered the end of religious orders, but the professed women's houses were able to remain in operation until the death of the last Sister. The Casa de São José de Lagoa, as it functions as a kind of social solidarity institution that sheltered children, was the only “Convento” active in the Algarve after the enactment of the law. In 1899, with a special authorization, a group of Dominican Sisters transformed the Recolhimento into a school for girls. This school has operated for about 11 years. At the end of the 20th century (20th), the municipality of Lagoa recovered the building and adapted it to serve, from 1993, as a cultural center. Today it holds exhibitions and activities related to culture. The cloister is another element of great interest. A cloister is an open-air courtyard, usually square, surrounded by a small wall with arches. In the cloister there is still an original cistern. It served to collect rainwater from the roofs and supply those who lived there. Outside there are very, very old menhirs, many thousands of years old… After losing its religious function and as it took on other functions, the building began to receive new constructions, as is the case of the module that now houses a multipurpose room and an auditorium. Two other highlights are the São José chapel, which predates the convent complex and was later absorbed by it, and the lookout tower, from where the nuns could observe what was going on around them without having contact with outside people. (automatic translation)

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