The proposal was presented by the Algarve Regional Development Commission's Culture Unit, in collaboration with the municipality of São Brás de Alportel, in the district of Faro, and aims to highlight a "unique building" used in the early 20th century to treat tuberculosis patients, the agency explained in a statement.

The classification of the São Brás de Alportel sanatorium, built in the early decades of the 20th century, "now awaits review and final decision by the Cultural Heritage, I.P [Public Institute]," the Algarve Regional Development Commission (CCDR) clarified.

"This initiative aims to recognise the historical, architectural, and social importance of this unique building, whose memory is deeply linked to the fight against tuberculosis in the 20th century," the Algarve regional commission emphasised.

The CCDR explained that the sanatorium began operations in 1918, "on the initiative of Dr. Carlos Vasconcelos Porto, a national figure of reference in the fight against tuberculosis and in the organization of railway health services in Portugal."

The health unit was established in São Brás de Alportel, in the Algarve mountains, to provide tuberculosis patients with an "innovative response within the context of public health in Portugal" and to incorporate the most current therapeutic practices of the time, it stated.

"The building stands out for its functionalist architecture, its integration into the landscape, and its symbolic importance for the local and regional population," the CCDR argued.

The classification of this heritage site will ensure the preservation of a building considered a landmark in the history of healthcare in the region and a symbol of modernist healthcare architecture in the south of the country, according to the Algarve commission.

The CCDR's Culture Unit emphasized that the proposed classification of the sanatorium is part of a broader strategy to enhance local heritage, which also encompasses heritage and involves the collaboration of the municipalities of the Faro district.

The São Brás de Alportel sanatorium building is also a central element in the collective memory and territorial identity of the Algarve mountain region, where it is located, the statement continues.

São Brás de Alportel is located approximately 20 kilometres north of the city of Faro, and the municipality's territory is part of the Serra do Caldeirão mountain range. The natural surroundings were one of the factors that led to the selection of the sanatorium's location, now in the process of classification.