He set up his office at Casa da Venda where he treated his patients. However, as he was against the dictatorial regime at the time, he could not find work in public hospitals as he had been banned and even persecuted by the PIDE.
He decided to practice medicine in the villages, towns of the Municipality and neighboring municipalities….he was the Authentic “João Semana”…he left home mounted on his brown mare named “Micas” and accompanied by his dog “Nero” (Castro Laboreiro breed).
He never left without carrying in his pack a bottle of white wine of the time.... (The so-called white of “tanning”... .or more recently “Orange wine”).
After the 25th of April he was invited to work at the Hospital of Ribeira de Pena, a neighboring municipality in which he worked as “João Semana” for several years.
Even he was invited by the people of the land, for just two years and in the transitional regime, to be Mayor of Ribeira, as he was very dear and had saved the lives of many people of that land.
In this way we honor the history of all the brave “João Semana” of Portugal.