Although monasteries in Portugal are historically seen to have been crucial centres of religious and intellectual life, they were not immune to controversy. For one, beginning in the 17th century, there was already some emerging concern about the effects that the surge in novices had on the Portuguese economy. There was also a growing distance between the monasteries and secular political life which furthered their controversial status in the country. The suppression of the monasteries can be traced back to the 17th century when smaller monasteries were forced to dissolve so that their finances could be consolidated into the larger branches of their congregations. This pattern was mainly driven by the enthusiasm for renewal engendered by the formation of the Autonomous Congregation of Alcobaça; however, the situation for smaller monasteries worsened after the
1755 Lisbon Earthquake. This earthquake destroyed a number of Portuguese monasteries, necessitating mass construction projects to rebuild them. Rather than focus on rebuilding all the monasteries, the
Portuguese monarchy decided to focus on further consolidating the resources of larger monasteries such as the College of Conceição. This established a precedent which gave the Portuguese government full authority to reform, dissolve, and consolidate
Cistercian monasteries at will. ==Decree and reaction==