A tribute to Commander Joaquim Baroana and a gift of his portrait, by the painter Luís Guimarães, to the Municipality of Cascais.
The Cascais City Hall will honor Commander Joaquim Baroana and receive his portrait, donated by the Baroana family.
The ceremony will take place at the Condes de Castro Guimarães Museum, where the work, by the painter Luís Guimarães, will be on display for public viewing.
More information: mccg@cm-cascais.pt
Organized by: Cascais City Council
Joaquim Baraona (Ourique, 1930 – Cascais, 2018)
Joaquim António Pereira Baraona was born in Ourique in 1930 and, throughout his life, built an identity marked by entrepreneurship and generosity. Although he originated in Ourique, he adopted Cascais as his home and developed a deep connection with Brazil, especially with the state of Espírito Santo. His charismatic character and ability to unite people made him both an admired and controversial figure, never going unnoticed in the various places where he lived. In Portugal, he stood out notably as the Provider of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Cascais in the 1970s. During this period, he led the transformation of the institution's old hospital, making it the most modern hospital unit in the country, equipped with state-of-the-art technology for the time. He was also responsible for the creation of the maternity hospital, which welcomed several generations of Cascais residents, the Misericórdia daycare center, housing complexes developed from scratch, as well as various academies and associations that emerged with his support or initiative. In recognition of his benevolent work, he was decorated in 1974 by the Presidency of the Republic with the rank of Commander in the Order of Merit, the highest national distinction in the field.
In Brazil, Baraona was a pioneer in investing in and implementing the concept of mountain tourism, contributing to the economic and social development of local communities. In the 1980s, he assumed the position of Vice-Consul of Portugal in Vitória, Espírito Santo, strengthening ties between the two countries. In 1992, he was awarded the Order of Merit of the Labor Judiciary by the Superior Labor Court of Brazil, in addition to receiving the Jerônimo Monteiro Commendation from the state of Espírito Santo, recognizing his impact and dedication to the region. Commander Baraona was one of the founders of the Rotary Club of Cascais-Estoril, an institution for which he published the monograph "Rotary Club of Cascais-Estoril, Half a Century in Service to Cascais, the Community, Rotary and International." This work was presented at his last public appearance on May 5, 2018. In 2022, the Ourique City Council paid him a posthumous tribute, recognizing him as "a prominent citizen of Ourique who made his mark throughout the world."
