ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book discusses the most marked features of Portuguese charity, healthcare and poor relief policies from the late fifteenth century onwards were their continuity in that they progressed smoothly without reversals or major upsets and the relative harmony seen among the actors involved in them. The establishment of the misericrdias, reform of the hospitals, regulation of the healthcare professions and organisation of epidemic control measures were all part of a policy package that aimed to institutionalise practices and harmonise procedures across the country. The role of the church in all this should certainly not be overlooked, as it was a fundamental element in a system based on shared commitments, albeit with no clear boundaries. It is widely accepted that poverty as a concept is neither absolute nor static and does not even refer to a homogenous group.
