Description of the attraction
The historic building of the Monastery do Carmo is located in the Chiado area of Lisbon. The monastery, which formerly housed the Carmelite Order, stands on a hill overlooking Piazza Rossio. The medieval monastery was destroyed during the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. The ruins of the Gothic church of this monastery (Church of do Carmo) serve as a reminder of this event. Before this earthquake, the church was considered the largest church in the city.
The building of the church and monastery was built in the Gothic style, which was typical of the religious orders of that time. The church itself is built in the shape of a Latin cross. The entrance to the church is through a portal with archivolts. Above the portal is a partially destroyed rose-shaped window. Inside, the church is divided by three naves. The roof of the church was destroyed during the earthquake and was never rebuilt.
The Carmo Monastery was founded in 1389 by the Portuguese knight Alvares Pereira. The knight was a constable of Portugal - the main military commander in the country and a military associate of King Joan I of Portugal. He commanded the Portuguese army in the decisive battle of Aljubarrota in 1385, when the Portuguese army defeated the Spaniards and the country gained freedom. Initially, the Carmo Monastery housed the Carmelite Order. In 1404, Alvares Pereira, who was a very devout man, donated his wealth to the monastery, and in 1423 he joined the order.
The earthquake destroyed most of the monastery and its church, completely destroyed the library, which contained about 5,000 books. The building of the monastery was reconstructed and transferred for use in the army. The church itself was never fully restored and in 1864 the ruins of the church do Carmo were donated to the Association of Portuguese Archaeologists, who turned it into an archaeological museum. The museum is located in the surviving part of the church and offers a small but very interesting collection for viewing. It will be informative for those who want to get acquainted with the history of Portugal, starting from the Paleolithic period. Also among the exhibits is a collection of medieval heraldry.
