Igreja Convento do Carmo (Carmo Church and Convent), Salvador

The Carmo Convent in Salvador is one of the largest and oldest of the Order of Carmo in Brazil . It began to be built in 1586 by the First Order of Carmelite Friar . It served as a shelter for the Bahians who, in the war against the Dutch , who wanted to dominate Bahia , and consequently Brazil, found refuge and safety in the walls, which are true fortresses.

The Church of Carmo in Salvador is the church of the homonymous convent , built for the liturgical acts of the Carmelite religious , like every convent or abbey that has its own private church.

This church is in the Baroque style and its current structure basically includes elements from the 17th and 18th centuries, although its construction began at the end of the 16th century.

On its main facade there are three large doors, with a bell tower on the left. It has a single nave and on the ceiling there is a painting of Our Lady and the Carmelite Saints. Its sacristy, in Rococo style , impresses with its beauty.

Its altars were made of wood, coated with gold and the main altar table is made of silver dating from the 18th century. The floor, the baptismal font and parts of the wall were made of lioz limestone, brought from Portugal.

The convent is one of the largest in the world, with two cloisters and eighty cells.

Beside the Igreja do Carmo , which is attached to the grandiose convent, is the Igreja da Ordem Terceira do Carmo , which constitutes another masterpiece of incomparable beauty. The Igreja do Carmo also features one of the most beautiful sacristies in the world, now reclusive (closed to the public). However, a small sacristy was built to be used by the Rector of that church in his liturgical acts .

Since the 1970s , the Convent has had a hotel assignment due to a lack of enough friars . Due to its location in the Historic Center of Salvador , Pousada do Convento do Carmo is a repetition of what happens in Europe , where hotels are installed in historic buildings, and it is the first luxury historic hotel in the country .