Lisbon · Portugal
Carmo Convent
A practical guide to Carmo Convent in Lisbon: the Gothic church that has had no roof since the 1755 earthquake, its archaeological museum, hours, the price with the Lisboa Card and the free shortcut to the Santa Justa viewpoint.
Worth it, especially with the Lisboa Card discount. It's a short visit: come for the nave open to the sky, not for a big museum.
Carmo Convent is a roofless Gothic church at the top of Chiado. It was built between 1389 and 1423, and on the morning of November 1, 1755, during All Saints’ Day Mass, the earthquake brought down its vault. Lisbon decided not to rebuild it. Today the arches frame nothing but sky, and the part that kept its roof houses the Museu Arqueológico do Carmo, Portugal’s first archaeological museum.
Our experience
It was the main stop of our first day. We got there at 11:55 on a Monday, after walking up from Rossio along the Calçada do Carmo, and gave it 45 minutes. We scheduled it for that time because of the light: before noon the sun comes in sideways through the arches of the nave.
We paid the discounted Lisboa Card price and, on the way out, continued across the terrace to the Santa Justa viewpoint. The lift has been closed for a while, and that passage through Carmo is the free way to get up there.
A bit of history
The convent was founded by Nuno Álvares Pereira, the general who won the Battle of Aljubarrota in 1385 and secured Portugal’s independence. He had promised a Carmelite convent if he won, and he paid for it out of his own pocket. Construction took 34 years because the ground was difficult: part of the building collapsed three times, and in 1399 they had to add the flying buttresses you can still see on the south side. Pereira ended his days here as a friar and was canonized in 2009.
After the earthquake, the city was rebuilt on the Pombaline grid, but the Carmo nave was left open, partly because of cost and partly as a memorial. The archaeological museum moved in in 1864.
The building next door, headquarters of the Guarda Nacional Republicana, has its own date: on April 25, 1974, Prime Minister Marcelo Caetano took refuge there and surrendered that afternoon, without a shot fired, in the Carnation Revolution.
How it fits into your day
Carmo sits halfway between Chiado and the Baixa, so it pairs with São Roque, Rossio and Rua Augusta. Read our first day in Lisbon for the full route.
What to see, in order
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The west portal
Before you go in, look at the archivolts: among the foliage there are little carved faces, some smiling and some pulling faces.
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The roofless nave
Five Gothic arches that frame nothing but sky. Stand in the center for the symmetrical view: it's the image of the 1755 earthquake that Lisbon decided not to erase.
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The apse with its vault
The roof that survived. This is how the whole church looked before 1755.
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The Muses sarcophagus
A 3rd-century Roman sarcophagus with the nine Muses, which turned up being used as a horse trough during 19th-century construction work.
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The tomb of King Fernando I
A Gothic tomb with the reclining figure of the king, his sword at his side and a dog at his feet.
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The Peruvian mummies
Two 16th-century children, displayed upright in cases at the back of the museum. Some visitors find them uncomfortable to see; it's good to know beforehand.
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The Carmo terrace
As you leave on the east side, a terrace with a view of the Baixa and the castle that leads to the Santa Justa viewpoint.
Tips we wish we’d known
Tips
- The Santa Justa Lift is closed, but you can reach its viewpoint for free from the Carmo terrace: leave the convent and turn left.
- The classic photo is from the center of the nave looking up, with morning light on the south side. It comes out fine on a phone; you don't need the photographer who sometimes offers photos for €10–15.
- Activate your Lisboa Card before you get to the ticket office so they charge you €5 instead of €7.
- It opens on Mondays, when many Lisbon museums are closed. It closes on Sundays.
Do
- Grab the free paper guide at the ticket office; it covers the main things without an audio guide.
- Look for the plaque on the GNR building, on the same square, where the government surrendered in 1974.
- Watch your bag on Largo do Carmo: groups gather there and pickpockets work around the fountain.
Don’t
- Don't hire the informal guides at the door or a generic Carnation Revolution tour: the plaque and the paper guide tell you almost the same thing.
- Don't eat on the streets right above (Rua Garrett, Rua da Trindade): expensive tourist menus. Walk up toward upper Bairro Alto or Príncipe Real.
- Don't wait in line down below to ride the Santa Justa Lift.
Frequently asked questions
How much time do you need for Carmo Convent?
Between 30 and 45 minutes for the nave and the museum. If you read everything and watch the earthquake video, an hour.
Is it included in the Lisboa Card?
It's not free, but there's a discount: you pay €5 instead of €7.
Is it open on Mondays?
Yes. It's closed on Sundays and on January 1, May 1 and December 25. From May to October it's open 10:00 to 19:00, with last entry at 18:40.
How do I get up to the Santa Justa viewpoint if the lift is closed?
Through the Carmo terrace, as you leave the convent. It's free and has the same view over the Baixa.