
The Carmo Convent is located on Largo do Carmo in Lisbon, Portugal. It overlooks the Rossio. The ruins of the Igreja do Carmo (Carmelite Church) are a reminder of the devastation caused by the 1755 earthquake, which destroyed most of downtown Lisbon.
The church façade features a portal with several smooth archivolts and decorated capitals. The rose window above the portal has been destroyed. The south face of the church is supported by five arcboutants, added in 1399 after a collapse during construction. The interior’s three naves extend into an apse and four apsidioles. The nave roof collapsed in the earthquake, and only the transverse pointed arches that supported it are still visible.
Inside the ruins is a small archaeological museum created in the 19th century to preserve monastery artefacts after certain religious orders were abolished in 1834. Highlights include the tomb of King Ferdinand I of Portugal (1367-1383), transferred from a convent in Santarém, as well as Roman and Visigoth artefacts, and even two Peruvian mummies.
The visit to the Carmo Convent was made on September 22, 2012.
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