Lisbon's Bairro Alto and Carmo Archeological Museum

 

The old center of Lisbon is divided into three sections. There is Baixa, which occupies a valley between two hills. To the east is a hill which is covered by the Alfama neighborhood. To the west are the Chiado and Bairro Alto neighborhoods, and that is where my travels have taken me this week.

My morning began at the Carmo Archeological Museum. In 1423, the Carmelite Sisters opened a monastery on the hillside of Chiado, overlooking Baixa. In 1755 Lisbon was struck by a major earthquake (7.7 or greater), which destroyed most of the buildings in Lisbon, including the chapel of the Carmo Monastery. By the early part of the 19th century, the monastery had been taken over by the Portuguese National Military Police. In 1864 the chapel was gifted to the Association of Portuguese Archeologists, who turned it into a museum. They took on the task of rebuilding and restoring the facade and walls of the chapel. They made to decision to not repair the roof of the chapel, which had completely collapsed, and has never been replaced. 

 

When you enter through the old church doors, and descend the 10 steps down to the central nave you are standing under the open skies. Along the walls there are tombs and archeological relics from the original church, and other important Portuguese churches. The interior passage of the nave is lined with artworks from changing exhibitions.

 

Tomb of a Knight

St. John Nepomucene

 

Passing through the transept, there are five rooms which hold archeological artifacts from Lisbon’s past.

 

Baroque Azulejo (tile) Panel

Tomb of King Dom Fernando I

Tomb of Queen Maria Ana of Austria

Muse Sarcophagus

"Horned Idols"

Statue of a Man of in a Toga

Outside of the museum is the Largo do Campo, a public square that is used by many tour groups as a meeting site, even if they are not visiting the museum itself. The plaza is at the top of the Elevator Santa Justa, one of the primary ways to travel from Baixa to Chiado (at the time of this writing, most of the elevators and funiculars are our of service, after the crash of the Gloría Funicular in Sept. 2025).

 

After spending the morning in the Carmo Museum of Archeology, My friends and I decided to walk through Bairro Alto, heading to the Livraria do Travessa, a branch of a Brazilian bookstore with an interesting history. We walked along some of the smaller streets, passing houses with traditional tiles on their walls, and small twisting passageways. We turned right onto Rue da Misericórdia. We passed the Igreja de São Roque, and took a respite at the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcantara. Built in the 19th century, this set of terraces offer amazing views of Baixa and of Fort George, on the Alfama hill.

We continued along R. Misericórdia and on to Avenida Dom Pedro V. After stopping at the Livararia do Travessa, we decided to have lunch at Zero-Zero Pizza, an excellent local pizzeria that was highly recommended, and it did not disappoint. Our caprese salad and two pizzas were excellent.

Nearby is the EmbaiXada shopping mall. Located in the Ribeiro do Cunho Palace, a 20th century building with south-asian treatments. The mall is home to about a dozen local companies, selling clothes, shoes, jewelry, and art.

Repurposed Carriage Houses

 

 

The best way to explore a city is by walking through its neighborhoods, so get out and enjoy!

Nuts and Bolts

• Carmo Museum of Archeology - located at the Largo do Carmo
• The museum is open Mon - Sat 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM (6:00PM from Nov - Apr).
• The entrance fee is Adults €7/ Students, Seniors, Lisbon Card €5