IGREJA DO CARMO

The first church of the Carmelite Order in all the Americas, the first stones of the Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Carmo were laid in 1580. When the city was destroyed by the Dutch in 1631, the church and convent suffered severe damage. In 1654, reconstruction work began. The place was abandoned in 1820. It was not until 1897 that a new restoration was undertaken, allowing the building to regain its splendour, displaying an architecture with Mannerist influences combined with Baroque elements.