| Carmo Convent | |
|---|---|
Convento da Ordem do Carmo | |
 View on the apse of the Carmo Convent (as seen from theRossio square) | |
  Carmo Convent Location of the convent within the municipality ofLisbon | |
| 38°42′44″N9°8′24″W / 38.71222°N 9.14000°W /38.71222; -9.14000 | |
| Location | Lisbon,Greater Lisbon,Lisbon |
| Country | Portugal |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Afonso Eanes, Gonçalo Eanes, Rodrigo Eanes, Leonel Gaia |
| Style | Gothic |
| Years built | 1389 |
TheConvent of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Portuguese:Convento da Ordem do Carmo) is a formerCatholicconvent located in thecivil parish ofSanta Maria Maior,municipality ofLisbon,Portugal. The medieval convent was ruined during the sequence of the1755 Lisbon earthquake, and the destroyedGothicChurch of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Portuguese:Igreja do Carmo) on the southern facade of the convent is the main trace of the great earthquake still visible in the old city.
The monastery was founded in 1389 by theConstable D.Nuno Álvares Pereira (supreme military commander of the King),[1] from the smallCarmelite convent situated on lands acquired from his sister Beatriz Pereira and the admiral Pessanha. The reconstruction of the convent began sometime in 1393.[2]
In 1407, the presbytery and apse of the conventual church was completed, allowing the first liturgical acts in that year.[2] By 1423 the residential cells were completed, allowing the Carmelites friars fromMoura (southern Portugal) to inhabit the building, including Father Nuno de Santa Maria, theConstable D. Nuno Àlvares Pereira who donated his wealth to the convent and entered the convent.[2]
By 1551, the convent contained 70 clergy and 10 servants, paying land rents of approximately 2500 cruzados annually.[2]
In 1755,an earthquake off the coast of Portugal caused significant damage to the convent and completely destroyed the library, which housed approximately 5000 volumes.[2] The 126 clerics at the time were forced to abandon the building, transferring initially to Cotovia, then to Campo Grande.[2]
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Minor repairs to the monastery were carried out in 1800; roof tiles were repaired at this time. Ten years later, the monastic site was occupied by quarters of theGuarda Real de Polícia (Police Royal Guard), including eventually, the garrisoning of the sharpshooter battalion (in 1814) and the militia (in 1831), following painting its interiors.[2] In 1834, there were repairs by the Public Works department to adapt the convent to receive theTribunal do Juízo de Direito do 3º Distrito (3rd District Judges' Law Court). The church was never fully rebuilt and rented out as sawmilling shop (in June 1835), before the religious orders were expelled from the country.[2] At that time the first and second companies of infantrymen for the municipal guard were stationed at the convent and, later, the first cavalry squadron in 1845. The buildings and site were donated in 1864 to the Association of Portuguese Archaeologists, which turned the ruined building into a museum.[2]
In 1902, a team was given the responsibility for restoring the facade along theLargo do Carmo.[2]
Between 1911 and 1912, the walls around the Carmo Convent were reconstructed, with various arches built, under the guidance of architect Leonel Gaia.[2]
In 1955, permission was given to execute public projects to conserve and restore the facades and roofing of the garrison buildings, by theDelegação nas Obras de Edifícios de Cadeias das Guardas Republicana e Fiscal e das Alfândegas (Republican Guard Delegation for Prison Buildings and Customshouses).[2]
On 28 February 1969, an earthquake caused damage to the church nave.[2]
During the events of theCarnation Revolution the convent was encircled by military rebels, who opposed the Estado Novo regime.[2] The regime's last President,Marcelo Caetano, and forces loyal to his regime were holed-up in the buildings, and eventually surrendered to the future democratic PresidentAntónio de Spínola.[2] The old convent was eventually transformed into the headquarters of the Republican Guard (Guarda Republicana).
The Carmo Convent and its Church were built between 1389 and 1423 in the plainGothic style typical for themendicant religious orders.[citation needed] There are also influences from theMonastery of Batalha, which had been founded by King John I and was being built at that same time. Compared to the other Gothic churches of the city, the Carmo Church was said to be the most imposing in its architecture and decoration.
The church has a Latin crossfloorplan. The main facade has a portal with severalarchivolts andcapitals decorated with vegetal and anthropomorphic motifs. Therose window over the portal is partially destroyed. The south side of the church is reinforced by five flying buttresses, added in 1399 after the south wall collapsed during the construction work. The old convent, located to the right of the facade, was rebuilt inneo-Gothic style in the early 20th century.
The church interior has anave with threeaisles and anapse with a main chapel and four side chapels. The stone roof over the nave collapsed after the earthquake and was never rebuilt, and only the pointed arches between the pillars have survived.
The Carmo Convent is located in theChiado neighbourhood, on a hill overlooking theRossio square and facing theLisbon Castle hill. It is located in front of a quiet square (Carmo Square), very close to theSanta Justa Lift.[citation needed]
Nowadays the ruined Carmo Church is used as an archaeological museum (theMuseu Arqueológico do Carmo orCarmo Archaeological Museum).[citation needed]The nave and apse of the Carmo Church are the setting for a small archaeological museum, with pieces from all periods of Portuguese history. The nave has a series of tombs, fountains, windows and other architectural relics from different places and styles.
The old apse chapels are also used as exhibition rooms. One of them houses notable pre-historical objects excavated from a fortification nearAzambuja (3500–1500 BC).[citation needed]
The group of Gothic tombs include that ofFernão Sanches, a bastard son of KingDinis I, (early 14th century), decorated with scenes ofboar hunting, as well as the magnificent tomb ofKing Ferdinand I (reign 1367–1383), transferred to the museum from the Franciscan Convent ofSantarém. Other notable exhibits include a statue of a 12th-century king (perhapsAfonso Henriques),Moorishazulejos and objects from theRoman andVisigoth periods.[citation needed]
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)Religious buildings inLisbon | ||||||
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