Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel - Vila do Conde

The Hospice of Our Lady of Mount Carmel of the Discalced Carmelites was founded in 1755.

In 1763, Gaspar de Bragança, Archbishop of Braga, granted a permit for the construction of a chapel of the same name. The original building was completed in 1765 and expanded shortly afterwards to build the monastery . It remained active until 1834, when the religious orders were abolished in Portugal.

Shortly afterwards the building was transferred to the city government. It housed the courthouse, the lace school, the grammar school, the post office and now houses the municipal offices.

The Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel has a beautiful stone portal in Joanine style on the west facade. It was built with the intention of becoming the main entrance to the church, but this was never realized due to the lack of space outside. The orientation initially planned for the church was changed and turned to the south, where it would be possible to enjoy a larger cemetery.

Willem Vandenameele