Santiago De Research Articles

Abstract PR007: Homotypic cell-cell fusion in TNBC cells downregulates cancer testis antigen MAGEC2 and increases therapeutic sensitivity to paclitaxel and doxorubicin

Abstract Cell-cell fusion between cancer cells and genetically mismatched populations has been shown to generate genotypic diversity and more pathological phenotypes which may alter tumor evolution and treatment response, but little is known on how the process of cell-cell fusion itself affects progeny from genetically matched cells. To investigate the hypothesis that the process of cell-cell fusion alone leaves durable effects in daughter cell populations derived from homotypic cell-cell fusion, GFP and mCherry labeled cells from the triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell line HCC1806 were co-cultured and subclones were generated through single-cell FACS isolation of spontaneously generated fusion progeny (double positive cells; n=9) and control cells (single positive cells; n=9) from the same population. Subclonal populations were expanded for >19 generations (1 to ~106 cells) before experimental measurements and perturbations. The morphological features, growth rate, chemotactic ability, motility, karyotype, gene expression profile, and chemotherapeutic response of each fusion and control subclone were characterized. We find no durable differences between fusion and control subclones in terms of growth rate, chemotactic ability, and response to 5-fluorouracil. However, subclonal populations generated from homotypic cell-cell fusion show remarkably consistent and statistically significant increased sensitivity to paclitaxel and doxorubicin compared to control subclones. Further, differential expression analysis of RNA sequencing data revealed loss of expression of cancer-testis antigen (CTA) MAGEC2 in fusion cells compared to controls. The MAGE family of CTAs have shown promise as an immunotherapeutic target, but this study suggests that loss or downregulation of MAGEC2 after homotypic cell-cell fusion could allow immune escape. While fusion progeny may be more protected from immune threats, fusion progeny are simultaneously sensitized to paclitaxel and doxorubicin which highlights the potential need for standard chemotherapeutics after CTA immunotherapy. Where current literature posits cell-cell fusion as a pathologically disruptive event which may increase therapeutic resistance, this is the first study to show that fusion progeny are counterintuitively more sensitive to standard chemotherapeutics and to indicate homotypic cell-cell fusion as a potential mechanism of immunotherapeutic escape. Citation Format: Andrea Gardner, Lan Zheng, Kennedy Howland, Chisom Iloegbunam, Patrik Barrera, Carolina De Santiago, Amy Brock. Homotypic cell-cell fusion in TNBC cells downregulates cancer testis antigen MAGEC2 and increases therapeutic sensitivity to paclitaxel and doxorubicin [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on the Evolutionary Dynamics in Carcinogenesis and Response to Therapy; 2022 Mar 14-17. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(10 Suppl):Abstract nr PR007.

Ambasadors of Kairopraxiei. Camino De Santiago. Truth and Harmony between Religious Freedom and Human Dignity

Ambasadors of Kairopraxiei. Camino De Santiago. Truth and Harmony between Religious Freedom and Human Dignity

Land- and Skyscapes of the Camino de Santiago: An Astronomy and World Heritage Sustainable Approach

The Romanesque churches dotted along the Way of Saint James are magnificent examples of cultural heritage, and their analysis from the perspective of cultural astronomy may, in an unobtrusive manner, provide information of hitherto unexplored facets of these treasures. This study aims to examine the pilgrimage road as a communication channel and to seek possible regional variations in the Christian kingdoms of Leon, Castile, Navarre and Aragon. Seen as a whole, the Romanesque churches of our sample present two main orientation patterns: towards either the ecclesiastical and astronomical equinox or to certain Easter Sunday celestial phenomena. However, equinoctial orientations are present only in Leon and Navarre, while Easter appears with more or less significance in every kingdom. The Camino de Santiago constitutes a sacred landscape with a common heritage, with a certain degree of cultural diversity that depends on the territory. These subtle differences have surfaced only in light of archaeoastronomical investigations.

The influence of sock composition on the appearance of foot blisters in hikers

IntroductionSocks are of fundamental importance in reducing friction and in controlling the temperature and humidity of the foot, thus preventing the appearance of blisters. However, the influence of sock fibres (synthetic vs. natural) on blistering during long-distance hiking has received little research attention. AimsThis study evaluates the influence of sock fibres on the appearance of foot blisters in hikers. MethodThe sample consisted of 203 male and female hikers, mean age 35.8 ± 14.5 years, from 22 countries. All were interviewed and assessed at shelters on the French route of the Camino de Santiago (Spain). Sociodemographic and clinical data were obtained for each hiker; other study data included the number of blisters on the foot, whether the socks were wet at the end of the day, the model of sock used and the nature of its constituent fibres. ResultsAmong the hikers interviewed, 68.5% presented foot blisters. 74.2% used socks with predominantly synthetic fibres, compared to 25.9% whose socks were mainly composed of natural fibres. On average, they had walked 253.7 km. Hiking in wet socks was associated with a 1.94 times greater risk of experiencing foot blisters (95% CI 1.04–3.61) (p = 0.035). Multivariate analysis showed that the proportion of natural/synthetic fibres in the composition of the sock was not related to the presence of blisters. ConclusionsThe use of wet socks heightens the risk of foot blisters in hikers, but the composition of the sock is not associated with blistering. We recommend hikers change their socks in long stages to maintain feet dry and so avoiding the appereance of blisters.

Life changes after the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, including a deeper sense of spirituality

ABSTRACT While it is widely known that pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago changes people, there is limited research exploring the transformative aftereffects of the experience. The purpose of this article is to contribute to filling this research gap by comparing life changes in beliefs, philosophy and behavior to life changes after three different kinds of exceptional human experiences (EHEs) from methodologically similar studies. Life changes after the pilgrimage experience are compared with life changes after unitive/mystical experiences (U/MEs), combat near-death experiences (cNDEs), and hypnotically-induced death experiences (HDEs). To measure life changes reported by pilgrims who had traveled the Camino de Santiago, an online survey (n = 630) was conducted using the established instrument for assessing aftereffects of the EHE, the ‘Life Changes Inventory-Revised’ (LCI-R). Findings suggest that pilgrimage experience may be comparable in aftereffects to other types of EHEs. In all four comparative studies, the most striking changes involve an increase in appreciation for life; a heightened quest for meaning and sense of purpose; more concern for others; greater self-acceptance; as well as a deeper sense of spirituality. Also, all four yielded a decrease in concern with worldly achievement. In the present study this decrease tends to be strongly associated with an increase in spirituality but not religiousness.

Stable isotope analysis and differences in diet and social status in northern Medieval Christian Spain (9th–13th centuries CE)

The Iberian Peninsula was at the forefront of the religious, economic, and political changes that swept across Europe during the Medieval Period, including the expansion of Christianity following the disintegration of the Umayyad Caliphate. Between the 9th and the 13th centuries CE, northern Iberia, in particular, witnessed a marked demographic and economic expansion that accompanied the emergence and development of different Christian Kingdoms. A growth in religious infrastructure driven by territorial expansion at the expense of Al-Andalus, and the emerging importance of the Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James) from the 11th century CE, represented vital processes in changing urban networks and social stratification. However, shifting diets and social structures brought about by these changes require direct study beyond historical texts or localised osteoarchaeological and biomolecular studies in order to determine their wider impacts on peoples’ lived experience. Here, we apply radiocarbon dating (n = 6) and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis to bone and dentine collagen from various locations (n = 10) across the north and north-eastern areas of modern Spain, where three prominent Medieval Christian Kingdoms (Aragon, Castille and Navarre) developed. We sampled 40 human and 32 faunal remains dating to between the 9th and 13th centuries CE, including historical personages such as Sancho Ramirez, Count of Ribagorza and an illegitimate son of King Ramiro I of Aragon; Saint Raymond William or San Ramón de Roda; Pedro de Librana, the first bishop of the city of Zaragoza after its conquest by the Christians in the 12th century CE; an unknown princess from the royal house of Aragon; and individuals from the urban and rural nuclei of Pamplona, Logroño, Lobera de Onsella (Zaragoza), and San Roque de las Quintanillas (Burgos). We compared our results to existing data from the same area demonstrating clear differences in access to animal protein and marine/freshwater resources between rural, urban, and high social status populations on a regional scale. Our data show significant differences in δ15N values between the different groups, with the highest values seen among the ‘elite’, followed by urban populations who benefited from trade and socio-economic diversity. This dataset acts as an important reference point for future studies focusing on changes in the diet and health among different sectors of Medieval society and, in particular, the development of social inequality in the Christian Kingdoms of Iberia as they formed at the centre of novel cultural and religious exchanges across Europe.

Leveraging the Camino de Santiago: promoting intentional reflection and group cohesion during study abroad

ABSTRACT The present investigation describes how one semester-long study abroad (SA) program leveraged a group excursion at the beginning of the term to promote intentional reflection, a critical skill to process ‘disorienting dilemmas’ often encountered abroad. The excursion took place on the Camino de Santiago, or ‘the Way of Saint James’, a well-known pilgrimage in northern Spain. While multitudes of pilgrims have traveled the Camino for over a millennium, it has rarely been featured in educational research. Eighteen women undergraduates from a US institution participated in a two-day hike on the Camino two weeks into their program, and completed a variety of reflection activities in situ. Data collected immediately after the experience and three months later were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Results suggest that students’ experiences on the Camino – coupled with intentional reflection exercises – helped them gain confidence in the early weeks of their SA semester, and served as a catalyst for camaraderie among participants. Pedagogical and programmatic recommendations of how to structure intentional reflection, especially at the beginning of a SA program, are offered. The article concludes with a call to action to further investigate the role of intensive intentional reflection, especially at the onset of SA.

Challenging gender inequity in wildlife conservation: a women’s group leading sea turtle conservation efforts in El Salvador

ABSTRACT Effective management of natural resources often requires diverse strategies implemented by a variety of conservation practitioners. Despite stark gender inequality challenges in many regions of the world, women can and do play a fundamental role in conservation initiatives in rural and other communities. However, examples of women’s involvement in conservation initiatives, notably in Latin America, are limited in the literature. We conducted interview-based research to learn more about the role that a women-led group named the Asociación de Desarrollo Comunal de Mujeres de la Barra de Santiago (AMBAS) – plays in sea turtle and other conservation initiatives in an artisanal fishing community in rural El Salvador. We identified four major themes from interview and survey responses (1. gender challenges; 2. interest in helping the environment; 3. local ecological knowledge; 4. community perceptions) that underscore the value of incorporating women’s ecological knowledge into conservation efforts while also drawing attention to the continued challenges that women face in environmental decision making. These data also suggest that conservation strategies that provide both environmental and economic benefits can inspire conservation commitment, regardless of whether they are led by men or women. This study contributes to the nascent dataset of examples highlighting the essential roles of women in conservation, and reinforces the notion that multi-gender participation is essential to maximise positive impact in conservation and wildlife recovery.

The Concept Album and the Early Music Revival

ABSTRACT Early music has been recorded for over half a century but most of its pre-1600 repertoire resists the programming conventions accepted in classical-romantic albums. Instead, the early music revival has developed its own unique approach to recording, inspired by innovations in musical styles other than classical music. The emergence of the rock concept album in the 1960s helped to shape the genres of art rock and progressive rock and to set them apart from other sub-genres. Some of the achievements of the early concept album—the use of studio technology and the medium of the LP in a way that yielded a large-scale musical and narrative form—appealed to early music and folk musicians. The article examines the work of prominent early music performers who adopted a conceptual-narrative approach to the recording of early repertories. David Munrow’s first early music albums demonstrate techniques borrowed from his work in the folk scene. Thomas Binkley’s careful handling of large-scale musical form helped to shape the pilgrimage narrative of his influential “Camino de Santiago” album. The article analyses further examples from several recordings of Hildegard’s music, and from the recordings of Jordi Savall and Pedro Memelsdorff, as early music concept albums. These albums show how early music performers use narrativity both to create a quasi-historical illusion and to create abstract musical narratives.

A Guest at Home: The Experience of Chinese Pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago

This study identifies the main dimensions and attributes that shape the experience of the Camino de Santiago for Chinese travelers as a tourism product. By exploring the similarities and differences between their experiences and that of Western pilgrims, it also reflects on the sustainable marketing strategies of the Camino among Chinese travelers. The research adopts a phenomenological approach and gathers data from 112 online travel journals posted by Chinese Camino pilgrims, and from in-depth interviews with twelve Chinese pilgrims. The results reveal that the Camino is experienced by Chinese pilgrims as a personal journey of well-being and growth, as well as a cross-cultural experience. Authenticity and harmony are observed to be the key elements that contribute to a satisfying and transformative experience for Chinese pilgrims, where they find a cultural-spiritual center close to their traditional values, yet distant from their everyday social practices. Both Chinese and Western pilgrims undergo similar external and internal journeys, although each group travels in its respective sociocultural framework. The study is based on Cohen’s (1979) five travel-mode theory and enriches the discussion from a cross-cultural point of view. The implications for the sustainable management of the Camino as a global cultural heritage route, and for effectively marketing it among Chinese tourists, are also discussed.

CONGENITAL MYOPATHIES – NEMALINE MYOPATHIES: EP.37 ACTA1 congenital myopathy: clinical and genetic spectrum of 5 chilean newborns

Congenital myopathy related with ACTA1 mutation may produce very severe and less severe clinical pictures with different genetic and histopathologic features. We describe clinical and histopathologic features of 5 newborns (two girls) studied between 2013 and 2020 in Clinica Alemana de Santiago and Hospital Luis Calvo Mackenna. Genetic analysis was performed in Hospital Bambino Gesú and Invitae (commercial laboratory USA). The first patient studied (2013) was a girl with fetal akinesia syndrome. She was ventilator dependent since birth, had no movements and presented distal contractures. Histopathology showed myopathic unspecific findings. She died at 6 months of age. Genetic study showed an ACTA 1 de novo mutation. Patients 2 and 3 are boys with neonatal hypotonia, weakness, facial diplegia and mild transient respiratory problems. Patients 2 and 3 had muscle biopsy with cytoplasmic rods. Both showed progressive motor improvement. Genetic analysis showed ACTA1 mutation de novo (patient 2) and autosomal recessive (patient 3). Patient 4 was a girl who showed severe generalized muscular weakness, facial diplegia, ventilatory dependence and progressive dilated myocardiopathy. Muscle biopsy showed type 1 fiber atrophy. Genetic study showed ACTA 1 de novo mutation. She died at 5 months of age. Patient 5, a 1-year-old boy with severe hypotonia and weakness, facial diplegia eyelid ptosis and mechanical ventilator dependent since birth. Muscle biopsy showed unspecific myopathic findings and genetic study detected ACTA 1 de novo mutation. We conclude that de novo ACTA1 mutation correlates with more severe and even fatal outcome (3 out of 4 of our patients) and AR ACTA1 mutation correlates with a more benign outcome (1 of our patients). Finally, muscle histopathology with rods seems to predict a less severe outcome but this is too small a series to validate this hypothesis.

Fatal blow: Urbicidal geographies, pax colonial and black sovereignty in the Colombian city

This article gives ethnographic form to Fanon’s warning that in the colonial world, “zombies are more terrifying than settlers,” by analyzing how racial mythologies produce spatial classifications of Black urban communities as unruly places and how Black individuals challenge their wretched condition by embracing a “program of complete disorder.” To do so, the article analyzes the short(ened) life of Paco, a young Black man under house arrest whose retaliatory violence against, and territorial dispute with, the police is an entry point for exploring resistance to urban coloniality in Santiago de Cali/Colombia. The article engages with the field of Black geography to propose a Fanonian reading of contemporary cityscapes as colonial spaces. Such colonial spatialities, it is argued, are not defined merely by subjugation to death but also, as Paco’s refusal to be killed may reveal, by an insurgent spatial praxis that might reposition the Black subject in relation to the city and the regime of Law.

Medievalism, peregrination and tourism: The twenty-first-century case of El passo honroso in Hospital del Órbigo, León

This article examines how the interaction between El Camino de Santiago and a late medieval re-enactment in the Castilian village of Hospital del Órbigo motivates a new and promising touristic panorama in current and future Spain. While massive tourism to the Mediterranean coast was a productive tool for the regeneration of the country during Francoism, El Camino de Santiago and its discursive power resulted in the proliferation of lesser-known cultural practices that simultaneously enabled a space to refashion autonomic-local identities. The annual celebration of the legacy of the medieval knight Suero de Quiñones nurtures a neomedieval spectacle in this Leonese region: a look at historical memory and a congregation of multiple postmodern medieval remediations. Ultimately, these neomedieval spectacles in Spain are a valuable instrument to recuperate regional-territorial sentiments within national borders that have been historically neglected, particularly during the Francoist era, yet in present times embodied in the incidence of political conservatism and the emergence of ultra-authoritarian legislators.

Identification and characterization of basic copper sulfates as mineral green pigments in Andean colonial mural paintings: Use of temperature‐controlled stage for the study of thermal induced antlerite degradation

AbstractThis work describes the characterization of green pigments in wall paintings from the Andean churches of San José de Soracachi and Santiago de Callapa in Bolivia, located on an ancient colonial commercial route known as the Silver Route. To approach our goal, microsamples extracted from the mural paintings and mineral samples, from a mine of the same area, were studied by using micro‐Raman spectroscopy complemented with micro‐energy‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy (μ‐EDXRF) and scanning electron microscopy with energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (SEM‐EDS) analysis. The use of gypsum as the preparation layer was detected, and it suggests a secco painting technique. Antlerite, a basic copper sulfate, was identified suggesting a preference for its use as green pigment in the mural paintings of Andean churches that may be related to the local availability of this mineral. Indeed, this study revealed the presence of heterogeneous particles of the basic copper sulfate together with aluminosilicates, quartz and iron oxides among others, which points to a mineral origin of the green pigment because the same compounds were found in the samples taken in the mine. Because a phase transition has been noticed during the Raman analyses, due to a high power of the laser radiation, some tests have been carried out, varying the laser power, and coupling the Raman spectrometer to a temperature‐controlled stage to verify under which conditions the degradation of the mineral sample of antlerite occurs allowing in this way a correct characterization of basic copper sulfate pigments. These results contribute to the study of the Andean colonial artistic cultural heritage, and this information will be made available for the construction of a database of local pigments of mineral origin used in Andean colonial art.

Study of the Space Occupied by a Wheelchair User at Metro de Santiago Platforms by Laboratory Experiments

The objective is to study the space a wheelchair passenger would use in the preferential waiting areas of an urban railway platform. For this purpose, an analysis of the variables that interfere in the space occupied by a wheelchair user was carried out at Metro de Santiago platforms, to design a preferential prototype waiting area at the Human Dynamics Laboratory of the Universidad de los Andes (Chile). The prototype has a 3.0 m long and 2.5 m wide carriage, together with a preferential waiting area on the platform of the same length as the carriage, and 2.0 m wide. With this prototype defined, a detection method was developed using PeTrack software, to accurately identify the limits of the space occupied by a wheelchair user under two scenarios of different density levels in the preferential waiting area: medium-density (1.5 passengers/m2) and high-density (4.0 passengers/m2). It was observed that the space occupied by a wheelchair user decreased by 33% as the density increased from medium to high. On the other hand, for a high-density level, the space occupied by a wheelchair user was found to be 61% higher than that occupied by a passenger without reduced mobility. This variation occurred mainly because passengers increased their distance from the wheelchair user, which widened their area of influence. Further experiments are proposed as future research to extend this analysis using other density situations.

Clinical evaluation of meibomian gland dysfunction in patients with keratoconus

PurposeTo investigate the association of keratoconus (KC) with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) and to describe the epidemiological characteristics of MGD in this disease. MethodsIn this observational study, 120 KC patients seen in the Department of Ophthalmology of the Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela and 87 controls were analyzed. The Ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaire was administered and several DED tests and an evaluation of the meibomian glands and lid margin were performed. MGD signs and DED tests were compared between the groups. Symptoms were further analyzed in patients and controls with and without MGD. ResultsKC was significantly associated with MGD after adjusting for age and sex [adjusted odds ratio (ORa), 2.40]. The frequency of MGD in KC patients [59 (49.2%) KC patients and 25 (28.7%) controls had MGD] correlated with the severity of KC (r = 0.206) (P = 0.020). Mean OSDI score in KC patients with and without MGD was 31.1 ± 24.1 and 35.2 ± 26.0 (P = 0.326), and 17.2 ± 22.7 and 13.3 ± 14.1 in controls with and without it (P = 0.366). The most common MGD signs coincided in both groups. Staining with fluorescein (P = 0.000) and lissamine green (P = 0.019) was higher in KC patients, but no differences were detected with TBUT (P = 0.116) or the Schirmer test (P = 0.637). Hypersecretory MGD was the most prevalent variant in both groups. ConclusionsMGD and DED are common in KC patients. MGD correlates with the severity of KC and is indistinguishable from MGD in patients without KC. No association was found with symptoms. Patients with KC should be screened for MGD because of its possible clinical implications. Further research is needed to clarify the role of MGD in KC patients.

Mycoplasma genitalium in Primary Care: Prevalence and azithromycin resistance in Santiago de Compostela Health Care Area

RESUMENObjetivos. Mycoplasma genitalium causa infecciones de transmisión sexual persistentes/recurrentes. El objetivo de este trabajo fue estimar la prevalencia y resistencia a azitromicina de M. genitalium en pacientes de Atención Primaria del Área Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela.Material y métodosSe estudiaron pacientes atendidos en Atención Primaria del Área Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela en 2019. El cribado de patógenos de transmisión sexual y la detección de mutaciones en el gen ARNr 23S se hicieron por PCR en tiempo real.Resultados. Se estudiaron 502 mujeres y 532 hombres. La prevalencia de M. genitalium fue 2,4% en hombres y 2,9% en mujeres. La tasa de resistencias a azitromicina fue del 20%, todas detectadas en hombres. Las mutaciones encontradas fueron A2059G, A2058G y A2058T.ConclusionesAunque el porcentaje de infecciones por M. genitalium es bajo, la elevada tasa de resistencia frente a azitromicina hace necesario actualizar los protocolos de diagnóstico y tratamiento de las infecciones de transmisión sexual, tanto para mejorar su resolución como para evitar la aparición de resistencias en otros patógenos del tracto urogenital.

How Is Fortitude Among Pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago Expressed and Formed? Clues from a Study of Polish Pilgrims

In 2019 alone, the Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James), one of Europe’s three most significant medieval pilgrimage routes, was followed by 347,511 pilgrims from around the world. This pilgrimage route has been the subject of numerous research projects conducted by international groups of specialists in various scientific disciplines. This study presents correlations between St. Thomas Aquinas’s doctrine on the virtue of fortitude and the experience of Polish pilgrims on the Camino based on 50 in-depth interviews conducted in the summer of 2019 on Monte do Gozo in Santiago de Compostela. This objective was achieved using the methodology of qualitative research following Steinar Kvale’s recommendations. The transcriptions of the interviews were coded based on the classifications in the Summa Theologica by Aquinas, classified into categories, and subsequently analyzed using MAXQDA Analytics Pro 2020. The virtue of fortitude is indispensable in the decision-making process and the ability to put one’s decisions into practice (Morales-Sánchez & Cabello-Medina, 2013. Journal of Business Ethics, 116(4), 717–734). One manifestation of the Camino pilgrims’ virtue of fortitude allowed them to believe that they would be more employable after they returned to their communities.

Understanding the Effect of Traffic Congestion on Accidents Using Big Data

Understanding the temporal and spatial dynamics of traffic accidents are a key determinant in their mitigation. This article leverages big data and a Poisson model with fixed effects to understand the causality of traffic congestion on road accidents in ten cities in Latin America: Bogota, Buenos Aires, Lima, Mexico City, Montevideo, Rio de Janeiro, San Salvador, Santiago, Santo Domingo, and Sao Paulo. Analyzing over 10 billion observations in 2019, results show a positive non-linear causality of congestion on the number of accidents. Overall, the results suggest that a 10% reduction in traffic delay would reduce accidents by 3.4%, equivalent to over 72 thousand traffic accidents. Sao Paulo and Mexico City would be particularly benefited, with reductions of 5.4% and 4.7%, respectively. The results of this paper aim to support policymakers in emerging economies in implementing measures to reduce congestion and, with it, the related direct and indirect costs borne by societies.

Power, Nobility and Charity: The Case of Morgado-chapel and the Hospital of the Barros Family in Braga, (Portugal)

ABSTRACT The Barros family, has, for centuries, administered the morgado of Real, the chapel of Senhora das Graças and a hospital in the city of Braga that harboured poor women. This hospital, named the Hospital de Santiago and the Hospital das Velhas (hospital for elderly women), was founded in the Late Middle Ages and continued to function until the nineteenth century. The current study analyses how aid to the poor, in an urban context, served as a catalyser of the prestige of the family that administered it. Using manuscript, printed and iconographic sources, processed by a multidisciplinary methodology, this investigation discusses the main patrimonial, social and symbolic coordinates that allowed the survival of the morgado and of the hospital in the long term.