One of my more vivid memories of my short visit to Lisbon in 2003 was the Convento do Carmo, a convent and church constructed in the late 1390’s and then destroyed in the earthquake of 1755.
The arches of the convent can be glimpsed from the viewing platform of the nearby Elevador de Santa Justa.
Once inside, there’s the odd sensation of being in a church that has no roof.
Some of the walls and the arches of the nave were partially reconstructed in the early 1900’s but the complex was left in a mostly “ruined” state and is now a tourist attraction and archaeological museum.
I still have a 15-year old-photo album at home with shots much like like this one.
A conveniently placed mirror against one pillar provided an opportunity for a rare double selfie!
Inside the museum area of the convent are a number of archaeological artifacts from around Lisbon, as well as parts of other churches and religious buildings.
Outside the convent is the very nice Largo do Carmo where we enjoyed coffee and tea and pastries while cars slowly navigated their way around the square.
