Convento do Carmo
لشبونة
The ruins of the Carmo Convent are the most visible sign of the 1755 earthquake in central Lisbon. The church open to the sky houses the Carmo Archaeological Museum.
A convent from the 1300s
The convent was founded in 1389 by Nuno Álvares Pereira, the king's great military commander. Later he himself entered it as a lay brother; today the Church honours him as Saint Nuno of Saint Mary.
The church was one of the largest in the city. It is shaped like a cross, with three naves separated by pillars.
The earthquake
The 1755 earthquake brought down most of the church. Afterwards the rebuilding went slowly.
In 1834, when the religious orders were shut down, the work stopped completely. The naves stayed open to the sky, as a memory of the earthquake.
The museum
Since 1864 the building has been the home of the Association of Portuguese Archaeologists. Its museum was the first museum of art and archaeology in the country.
The museum holds Roman inscriptions, pottery and prehistoric objects. Some finds come from a dig north of Lisbon, with objects about five thousand years old.
The square
In the square in front of the church there is a fountain from the 1700s. In 1974 the square was the stage of the revolution. On 25 April 1974, in the Carmo barracks, the head of the dictatorship's government surrendered.
