The Convento de São José de Ribamar was founded in the 16th century as a Franciscan monastery on the outskirts of Lisbon, near the Tagus estuary. The complex included a church, cloisters and living quarters for a small monastic community, and it served an active religious role for several centuries.

During the 17th century, the convent was expanded and adapted to support daily monastic life. Its sober architecture and location made it a recognizable religious landmark in the surrounding area. In 1834, following the dissolution of religious orders in Portugal, the convent lost its ecclesiastical function and passed into private ownership.

In the years that followed, parts of the former monastery were altered and incorporated into a residential estate, while other sections gradually fell into decay. Today, only fragments of the original convent remain, standing as a tangible reminder of its religious origins and later secular transformation.