Carmo Convent

One of the most beautiful historical sites in Portugal, the Carmo Convent in Lisbon is a partially damaged medieval convent that is now operated as an archaeological museum. Nuno lvares Pereira, a key player in Portuguese military history – notably the victory at the Battle of Aljubarrota – became a member of the Carmelite Order and built Carmo Convent in 1389. Carmo Convent was destroyed by an earthquake in 1755, and the beautiful ruins are now open to the public. The Museu Arqueologico do Carmo, which has a collection of prehistoric to medieval items, is presently housed in the convent.

Today, the convent serves as a museum for both locals and visitors. A tiny archaeological museum stands in the location of the former main altar, with an eclectic assortment of graves, the largest of which is that of King Ferdinand I, as well as ceramics, statues, and mosaics.

A Visigoth pillar and a Roman tomb with reliefs portraying the Muses are also on display. Shrunken heads, South African mummies, a jasper sculpture of the Virgin Mary, ancient tombstones, Visigothic antiquities, and 13th-century coins are among the other items on display.

Location: Lisbon