Convento do Carmo

NileGuide Expert tip:

After riding the Santa Justa lift to the top, walk back across the bridge to visit the convent.

Description:

• The semi-ruins of this late 14th-century Carmelite church are a permanent reminder of the tragedy that befell Lisbon on 1 November 1755 when a devastating earthquake reduced much of the city to rubble. During the tremors the convent's vaulted ceiling collapsed crushing the assembled parishioners who were celebrating All Saints' Day, and it's the skeletal remains of the surviving arches which are today so evocative of that fateful day. The roofless nave, open to the sky, is fringed either side by weathered pillars. Classical music concerts are occasionally held here during the summer. Otherwise, an overwhelming feeling of solitude prevails and the atmosphere is poignant – remember that many lives were lost here. An engaging archaeology museum is housed in what used to be the main alter. Carved tombs, baroque azulejos (tiles), a display of 13th-century coins and, bizarrely, three ancient mummies, form part of the modest collection. © NileGuide2011
• © NileGuide2012