Igreja do Carmo lisbon

This is the church that is ruins. We went down , down , down, a back alley, but we went down too far. We ended up having to back up the Calcada do Carmo to get to the square where the church is located.

Once in the square there was lots of activity, music, restaurants, kiosks with snacks and a group of musicians playing bluesy, jazz stuff. In front of the church there is a night time light show, but it cost 15 euro....it tells the history of Lisbon. Kind of like that light show we saw in Quebec city years ago with the kids for the 400th anniversary of Quebec city - although that was free. We didn't go to the light show as we needed to eat.

There is a lovely fountain in the square with 4 dolphins. Chafariz do Carmo.

For dinner we went to the Carmo Restaurant, I had pork with mushroom risotto and colin had seafood risotto. It was pretty good, but a bit glue. the Iberian pork is yummy, but fatty.

from eye witness of the Igreja do Carmo
'The gothic ruins of this carmelite church on a slop overlooking the Baixa are evocative reminders of the devastation left by the earthquake of 1755. the church collapsed during mass depositing tons of masonry onto the people below. Founded in the late 14th century by Nuno Alvares Pereira, the commander who became a member of the Carmelite order, the church was at once time the biggest in the city of Lisbon. Nowadays the mains body of the church and the chancel whose roof withstood the violent shock waves, house an archeological museum....
Outside the ruins in the Largo do Carmo (square) stands the Chafarix do carmo, an 18th century fountains designed by Angelo Belasco, elaborately decorated with four dolphins. 'Read more