….. is the capital and the largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 505,526 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Its urban area extends beyond the city’s administrative limits with a population of around 2.8 million people, being the 11th-most populous urban area in the European Union. About 3 million people live in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (which represents approximately 27% of the country’s population). It is mainland Europe’s westernmost capital city and the only one along the Atlantic coast. Lisbon lies in the western Iberian Peninsula on the Atlantic Ocean and the River Tagus. The westernmost areas of its metro area form the westernmost point of Continental Europe, which is known as Cabo da Roca, located in the Sintra Mountains.

Lisbon is recognised as an alpha-level global city by the Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) Study Group because of its importance in finance, commerce, media, entertainment, arts, international trade, education and tourism. Lisbon is the only Portuguese city besides Porto to be recognised as a global city. It is one of the major economic centres on the continent, with a growing financial sector and one of the largest container ports on Europe’s Atlantic coast. Additionally, Humberto Delgado Airport served 26.7 million passengers in 2017, being the busiest airport in Portugal, the 3rd busiest in the Iberian Peninsula and the 20th busiest in Europe, and the motorway network and the high-speed rail system of Alfa Pendular links the main cities of Portugal (such as Braga, Porto and Coimbra) to Lisbon. The city is the 9th-most-visited city in Southern Europe, after Rome, Istanbul, Barcelona, Milan, Venice, Madrid, Florence and Athens, with 3,320,300 tourists in 2017. The Lisbon region contributes with a higher GDP PPP per capita than any other region in Portugal. Its GDP amounts to 96.3 billion USD and thus $32,434 per capita. The city occupies 32nd place of highest gross earnings in the world. Most of the headquarters of multinationals in the country are located in the Lisbon area. It is also the political centre of the country, as its seat of Government and residence of the Head of State.

Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world, and one of the oldest in Western Europe, predating other modern European capitals such as London, Paris and Rome by centuries. Julius Caesar made it a municipium called Felicitas Julia, adding to the name Olissipo. Ruled by a series of Germanic tribes from the 5th century, it was captured by the Moors in the 8th century. In 1147, the Crusaders under Afonso Henriques reconquered the city and since then it has been a major political, economic and cultural centre of Portugal. Unlike most capital cities, Lisbon’s status as the capital of Portugal has never been granted or confirmed officially – by statute or in written form. Its position as the capital has formed through constitutional convention, making its position as de facto capital a part of the Constitution of Portugal.

THE CONFERENCE CENTER: CONVENTO DO BEATO

The Convent of Beato António (Portuguese: Convento do Beato António) is a former Portuguese convent, located in the civil parish of Beato, in the municipality of Lisbon.

The history of Convento do Beato dates back to the 15th century, when Queen D. Isabel was given authorisation to construct a hospice in the chapel of S. Bento for the congregation of the “frades azuis”, the “blue monks” as they were known. Before she was able to fulfil her wish, Queen D. Isabel died, leaving 8,000 gold crowns in her will for building the hospice.
In the 16th century, Frei António da Conceição set the construction of the monastery in motion. The story goes that with just seven “tostões” (small coins like farthings) which he had received in alms, he managed to get the building of the magnificent monastery underway. The reputation of this miraculous building increased and in 1602 the people made him into a saint (he was only recognised as such by the church in the 18th century), and they began to refer to him as Beato António (António the Beatified) and his magnificent creation as the Convento do Beato.

The material used for the construction of Convento do Beato, mainly Portuguese white marble with veins of red jasper, gave it not only its very special appearance but also make it very strong, as was seen at the time of the 1755 earthquake. At that time, Convento do Beato provided a shelter for the monks from the “Convento dos Lóios”, who managed to bring a number of relics of untold value with them, which they rescued from the ruins and the flames.
At the end of the 18th century, one of the wings of the monastery began to be used as the Royal Military Hospital and in 1834 the merchant João de Brito bought part of the buildings that had meanwhile been partly destroyed by a serious fire.
In this way, the monastery began to be used for industrial purposes, and a modern manufacturing plant was installed where a steam engine operated for the first time in Portugal. 15 years later in 1849, Queen D. Maria II granted authorisation for the use of the brand “Nacional” for the products made by the company, in recognition of the industrialist João de Brito.
Recognised over the years for its magnificent construction, in 1984 Convento do Beato was classified by IPPAR (the Portuguese Institute for Architectural Heritage) as a Heritage Site of Public Interest, and it was used for holding a number of events of a cultural nature.

Foyer

The Main Cloister is clearly a magnificient piece of architecture, where coloured marble of Portuguese origin can be found and an imposing structure.

Monumental Staircase

Former Library

Upper Foyer

Cloister Gallery

Chapter Room

CONGRESS TOPICS

RETINA AROUND THE WORLD

Make this congress yours; bring your own medical and surgical cases, series, studies….

EDITED FILMS, SCIENTIFIC POSTERS & RETINA PHOTOS

All topics are accepted.

PRELIMINARY PROGRAMME

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

09:00 – 19:00 Booth Installation

Thursday, June 27, 2019

07:00 Registration Opens

07:00 Speaker Ready Room Opens

09:00 – 18:00 Courses & Symposia

Friday, June 28, 2019

08:00 – 19:00 Scientific Sessions

Saturday, June 29, 2019

08:00 – 19:00 Scientific Sessions

Sunday, June 30, 2019

08:00 – 14:00 Scientific Sessions

Booth Dismantling

FLIGHT CONNECTIONS

Humberto Delgado Airport (IATA: LIS, ICAO: LPPT), also known simply as Lisbon Airport, is an international airport located 7 km from the city centre of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. The airport is the main international gateway to Portugal.

Airlines and Destinations