Tradition has it and chroniclers of old confirm that the monument of king D. João V and probably the cure of the grave illness from which he suffered.
Since the beginning of the 17th century the Franciscan order of Arrabida, supported by the Squire, wanted to build a convent in Mafra but their efforts were of no avail until, in 1711, their long awaited opportunity knocked at the door.
By then the King had been married to D. Mariana of Austria for almost of succession, a cause for a great concern for the court and the royal family itself.The Franciscan order of Santa Maria of Arrabida soon turned this misfortune totheir advantage. Friar Antonio de S. Jose, one of their members, told the king that if he promised God to build a Franciscan monastery de-dicated to St. Anthony, a. Mariana was sure to bear him an heir.
Whatever the motives, religious or otherwise, D. Joao made his vow and on the 4th of December of the same year became the father of Infanta D. Maria Barbara, the future Queen of Spain by marriage. She was the first of their 6 children among them the Crown Prince who was later to reign as D. José I. Thee months before her birth the King gave orders for the building of a small convent to house 13 friars. Meanwhile they were to be accommodated temporarily at the hermitage of Ermida do Espírito santo which had already been used for this purpose at their annual missions for many years. After long discussions it was agreed that the convent by built in Alto da vela, east of Mafra
At an altitude of 234 metres. The following year vast sums of the land. On November 17th, 1717 the foundation work of the basilica was complete and with great pomp, in the presence of the patriarch and court, D.João V laid the foundation stone.
The increasing riches from brazil and his artistic and religious inclinations made it difficult for João «The magnanimous» to decide on the size of the future convent.Successive projects were presented and altered by some of Europe’s greatest architects.The one finally chosen was that of Johann friedrich ludwing (or ludovico), a protégé of the Jesuits and the german court of queen D.mariana of Austria. The initial number of persons the convent was to hold grew from 13 friars to 40, to 80 and eventually to 300 plus the patriarch with his ministery, the entire royal family and the court.
