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26-528: The monastery was founded in 1389 by the Constable D. Nuno Álvares Pereira (supreme military commander of the King), from the small Carmelite convent situated on lands acquired from his sister Beatriz Pereira and the admiral Pessanha. The reconstruction of the convent began sometime in 1393. In 1407, the presbytery and apse of the conventual church was completed, allowing the first liturgical acts in that year. By 1423

52-743: A hill overlooking the Rossio square and facing the Lisbon Castle hill. It is located in front of a quiet square ( Carmo Square ), very close to the Santa Justa Lift . Nowadays the ruined Carmo Church is used as an archaeological museum (the Museu Arqueológico do Carmo or Carmo Archaeological Museum ). 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

78-443: 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 near Azambuja (3500–1500 BC). The group of Gothic tombs include that of Fernão Sanches , a bastard son of King Dinis I , (early 14th century), decorated with scenes of boar hunting, as well as

104-548: Is often considered the worst disaster to strike the city since the 1755 Lisbon earthquake . Although it is known that the fire started with a slow combustion on the top floor of the Grandella building (which is unlikely in the event of intentional fire, that typically spreads quickly) the cause was never fully determined. In 1989 the Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza Vieira was invited by the mayor of Lisbon Krus Abecasis to oversee

130-665: The Guarda 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. In 1834, there were repairs by the Public Works department to adapt the convent to receive the Tribunal 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

156-464: The 1960s. It eventually became a beloved touristic site thanks to its picturesque streets and squares, cultural attractions, cafés and shops. In the early hours of August 25, 1988, a fire started at the Grandella department store in Rua do Carmo (Carmo Street) and quickly spread to Rua Garrett (Garrett Street) and others, affecting a total of 18 buildings (corresponding to an 8000 m land footprint) in

182-556: The Chiado area, of which 11 were full losses with structure collapse, including the Armazéns do Chiado and Grandella department stores, that never reopened, along with several other historical shops also destroyed. The fire was fought by 1,680 firefighters from throughout the country, and was put out by 16:00 local time. Several anecdotes indicate that the poorly equipped fire crews and access difficulties (especially at Rua do Carmo) combined with

208-563: The Republican Guard ( Guarda Republicana ). The Carmo Convent and its Church were built between 1389 and 1423 in the plain Gothic style typical for the mendicant religious orders . There are also influences from the Monastery 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

234-448: The absence of the King and to maintain discipline in the army; he was present at all military tribunals . After the reign of John IV of Portugal (1640—1656), the title ceased to have military or administrative responsibilities, becoming an honorific title . Chiado The Chiado ( Portuguese pronunciation: [ʃiˈaðu] ) is a neighborhood in the historic center of Lisbon ,

260-471: The area. Between 1373 and 1375, during the reign of King Ferdinand I , a new city wall was built that encompassed part of present-day Chiado, favouring its urbanisation and settlement. The main gate ( Portas de Santa Catarina ) was located in the Chiado Square. In the 16th century, the area outside the city walls (present-day Bairro Alto ) was also urbanised. The gate and walls were demolished in

286-542: The capital of Portugal . Chiado is an important cultural and commercial district, known for its luxury shopping, historic landmarks, and its numerous theatres and museums. In 1988, the Chiado area was severely affected by a fire. Following an extensive rehabilitation project by Pritzker -winning architect Álvaro Siza Vieira , the Chiado has recovered and become one of the most valuable real estate markets in Portugal. The toponym Chiado has existed since around 1567. Initially

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312-527: The church nave. During the events of the Carnation Revolution the convent was encircled by military rebels, who opposed the Estado Novo regime. 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 President António de Spínola . The old convent was eventually transformed into the headquarters of

338-424: The coast of Portugal caused significant damage to the convent and completely destroyed the library, which housed approximately 5000 volumes. The 126 clerics at the time were forced to abandon the building, transferring initially to Cotovia, then to Campo Grande. 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

364-670: The early 18th century. The 1755 Lisbon earthquake greatly affected the area, destroying houses, churches and convents. The rebuilding plan organised by the Marquis of Pombal included the Chiado, and new streets were opened to link the area with the Baixa Pombalina . New churches were rebuilt in Rococo - Baroque style, like the Mártires Basilica , Encarnação Church and the Loreto Church,

390-404: The extensive flammable contents (including gas bottles for sale on the stores) meant the firefighters struggled to cope with such a large scale urban fire. Two people were killed, and 73 were injured (60 of them firemen). Between 200 and 300 people lost their homes, and close to 2000 people lost their jobs. In terms of the extent of the city affected and number of destroyed buildings, the Chiado fire

416-708: The facade along the Largo do Carmo . Between 1911 and 1912, the walls around the Carmo Convent were reconstructed, with various arches built, under the guidance of architect Leonel Gaia. In 1955, permission was given to execute public projects to conserve and restore the facades and roofing of the garrison buildings, by the Delegação nas Obras de Edifícios de Cadeias das Guardas Republicana e Fiscal e das Alfândegas ( Republican Guard Delegation for Prison Buildings and Customshouses ). On 28 February 1969, an earthquake caused damage to

442-541: The latter belonging to the Italian community of Lisbon. In the 18th and, especially, in the 19th century, a great number of important commercial establishments opened in the Chiado, turning it into a favourite shopping area. Some of them exist to this day, like the "Bertrand Bookshop" (opened 1747) and "Paris em Lisboa" (garment shop opened 1888). In 1792, Lisbon's opera house , the Teatro Nacional São Carlos ,

468-508: The magnificent tomb of King Ferdinand I (reign 1367–1383), transferred to the museum from the Franciscan Convent of Santarém . Other notable exhibits include a statue of a 12th-century king (perhaps Afonso Henriques ), Moorish azulejos and objects from the Roman and Visigoth periods. Constable of Portugal Constable of Portugal ( Portuguese : Condestável de Portugal )

494-449: The most imposing in its architecture and decoration. The church has a Latin cross floorplan . The main facade has a portal with several archivolts and capitals decorated with vegetal and anthropomorphic motifs. The rose 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

520-474: The name referred to Garrett Street, and later to the whole surrounding area. The most widely cited possible origin for the name is related to António Ribeiro (c.1520–1591), a popular poet from Évora who lived in the area and whose nickname was "chiado" ("squeak"). A bronze statue of the poet, by sculptor Costa Mota (tio) , was placed in the Chiado Square in 1925. The Chiado has been inhabited since at least Roman times, when several villae were present in

546-511: The reconstruction project for the area. This rebuilding project was mostly completed by 1999, and included a shopping centre on the former Armazéns do Chiado building and the new Baixa-Chiado station of the Lisbon Metro , as well as new public spaces. The exterior look of the buildings was restored, while the interiors have been completely rebuilt according to modern construction techniques and safety regulations. The last feature of Siza's project

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572-469: The religious orders were expelled from the country. 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. In 1902, a team was given the responsibility for restoring

598-470: The residential cells were completed, allowing the Carmelites friars from Moura (southern Portugal) to inhabit the building, including Father Nuno de Santa Maria, the Constable D. Nuno Àlvares Pereira who donated his wealth to the convent and entered the convent. By 1551, the convent contained 70 clergy and 10 servants, paying land rents of approximately 2500 cruzados annually. In 1755, an earthquake off

624-455: The right of the facade, was rebuilt in neo-Gothic style in the early 20th century. The church interior has a nave with three aisles and an apse 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 the Chiado neighbourhood , on

650-672: Was an office created by King Ferdinand I of Portugal in 1382, to replace the High Standard-bearer ( Alferes-Mor ) as the head of the Portuguese Military . It was also referred as the Constable of the Kingdom ( Condestável do Reino ). The Constable was the second most powerful person in the Kingdom , after the King of Portugal . The Constable's responsibility was to command the military in

676-568: Was inaugurated, attracting the cultural elite of the city, and other theatres were opened in the 19th century ( Trindade Theatre , S. Luís Theatre). Museums were also created, like the Archaeological Museum in the former Carmo Church and the Museum of Contemporary Art in the former Convent of Saint Francis (now Chiado Museum ). The cafés and theatres in the area were a meeting point for the aristocracy, artists, and intellectuals at least until

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