evidence: During the era of colonial expansion, the temporary transfer of the Portuguese Court to cities outside the capital due to the frequent epidemics that Lisbon suffered from due to its port status ( [...] Misericórdias. This was reinforced by the Law of November 1564, which extended this privilege and assigned any testamentary legacy of Lisbon that was not fulfilled in time to this Mercy. [...] The Santa Casa de Misericordia of Olivenza is possibly the only one whose activity can be identified with the Misericórdias in Portugal—unsurprising given that, until 1801, it was deemed to be part of Portugal. The so-called "Question of Olivenza" meant that Portugal refused to recognize the sovereignty of Spain over the city (a similar situation to the case of Táliga, also in the province of Badajoz, and which turned out to be the most "Portuguese" of Spanish populations). The Misericordia of Olivenza, founded in 1501, currently has the legal structure of a private foundation, and so is subject to the national legislation for foundations. Its organizational chart is similar to that of the Portuguese entities, with the existence of a Provedor (President), an Escribano (Notary Public), and a treasurer, and, as occurs in the Portuguese Misericórdias, it provides a comprehensive range of general social care for those in need, beyond the elderly and the sick. It includes a residential center for the elderly and disabled, a training center for the unemployed, and in-home care services for dependent adults and the elderly.