The Church of Saint Roch was built by the Jesuits in 1533 and it represents the oldest Jesuit church in Lisbon. The church inscription is connected to an historical fact. In the 16th century a cemetery where to bury all the victims of the plague was built in an area located outside the city walls. In 1506 a temple dedicated to Saint Roque was built; he was the protector of the sicks. After thirty years the temple was entrusted to the Society of Jesus which built a bigger temple, keeping the original Chapel of São Roque. The project was designed by Filippo Terzi, an Italian architect and engineer who worked at the service of the Spanish and Portuguese royal families. In the 18th century a royal decree ordered the expulsion of all Jesuits from Portugal, and their goods became property of the Charity House of Lisbon. At the moment they belong to the Santa Casa da Misericórdia.
