Igreja dos Carmelitas, Porto

This is Igreja dos Carmelitas, the church attached to a Carmelite convent that no longer exists. Construction starts in 1616, reaches completion in 1628, and interior decoration follows by 1650. The granite face gathers three round-arched portals; niches above them contain Saint Joseph, Saint Teresa of Jesus, and Our Lady of Carmel.

Along the façade, a bell tower clad in single-colour blue tile rises beneath a bulb-shaped dome. Inside, the plan forms a Latin cross, with a lone nave and six side chapels; lavish carved and gilded wood enlivens both chapels and high altar. The former convent is now occupied by the Republican National Guard.

This church and Igreja do Carmo share Porto’s Hidden House, a sliver little more than a metre wide. Both churches received National Monument designation on the third of May 2013.