Described as the most beautiful of all the churches in Lisbon, only the Gothic arches, walls and flying buttresses are still standing of the Convento do Carmo; the roof collapsed on a crowd of worshippers during the 1755 earthquake. The Convento do Carmo was built in 1423 under the instruction of Nuno Alvares Pereira, Dom João I’s military commander, who was unwavering in his choice of location.
rn
rnMetro tunnelling in recent years has also brought the structure to near collapse. Today a grassy lawn grows amid the ruins, which rise boldly against Lisbon’s deep blue sky. The back end of the church, with ceiling intact, houses the Museu Arqueologico with its random collection of European and Egyptian antiquities. Afterwards, relax with a coffee in the peaceful Largo do Carmo.