ConventofNossaSenhoradoCarmo

The Convent of Nossa Senhora do Carmo, located in front of Paço Imperial, is one of the oldest buildings in Rio de Janeiro and a landmark of the colonial period.

It all began with Frei Pedro Vianna, who, after founding the Convento do Carmo in the city of Santos in 1589, came with other Carmelites to Rio. The friars received, by donation, the Capela de Nossa Senhora do Ó and a few "braças" of land around Praia de Nossa Senhora do Ó – one of the several names once used for the present-day Praça XV. In the early decades of the 17th century, on the land adjoining the chapel, the Carmelites began building their convent, which, over time, underwent countless interventions and renovations. The small chapel gave way to the conventual church, built starting in 1761.

Image description: This is a painting depicting an urban scene, likely of a historic city. On the left side, we see a building with a red roof and white facade, possibly a convent. In the center, there is a large building with several windows and also a red roof. On the right, there is a church with a red dome and a tower. In the middle of the image, we see a group of people dressed in colonial-period clothing, some appearing to be soldiers and others civilians. On the ground, there are objects such as hats and baskets. The sky is light blue and there is no visible text in the image.

With the arrival of the Portuguese court in 1808, the convent was requisitioned to house Queen D. Maria I and her retinue. On that occasion, the Carmelites also lost their church, which was turned into the Royal Chapel and See of the Kingdom due to its proximity to the Paço Real – the former palace of the viceroys and residence of D. João VI for a brief period.

Around 1840, part of the old convent began housing the Instituto Histórico e Geográfico Brasileiro, which remained there until 1896. In 1856, due to the opening of Rua do Cano (present-day 7 de Setembro), the part of the convent that connected to the convent church was demolished. A walkway was built between the two structures in order to facilitate internal access.

Image description: This is an old black-and-white photograph of a convent. On the left side, we see a tower with a bell and a cross at the top. In the center, there is a main building with three side towers, each topped with a cross. On the right, there is a larger structure with ornate architectural details. In the foreground, there are several carriages and people walking. In the lower right corner, there is a sign that reads "HOTEL DE FRANCE".

In 1902, the republican government transferred the building to the Sociedade Brasileira de Instrução, the country's first private education institution, owned by the lawyers Cândido and Fernando Mendes de Almeida and later the maintainer of the Universidade Cândido Mendes.

Image description: This is a historic black-and-white photograph of a square with a convent in the background. On the left, there is a long building with balconies. In the center, there is a square with trees and people walking. On the right, there is another building similar to the first. In the background, a large convent with towers and domes stands out.

The Cândido Mendes University Law School occupied the site for more than 100 years. In the 1970s, the University received authorization from governor Chagas Freitas (1970-75) to erect a building of more than 40 floors, adjoining the convent. Despite protests against the construction of the tower, on the grounds that it would alter the character of the surroundings, the project was approved and the building is still there today.

Image description: The image shows an art gallery with exposed brick arches. On the right, there is a large black-and-white artwork depicting a landscape with mountains and water. People are walking through the gallery, looking at the exhibited works. In the background, other visitors can be seen exploring other pieces of art.

In 2011, the state government took back the convent and handed its custody over to the Office of the Attorney General of the State (PGE), which was responsible for the building's renovation and restoration work. In 2022, the PGE Cultural Center was inaugurated, offering various free-access activities, including temporary exhibitions, a permanent exhibition related to the history of the Convent itself and to the archaeological findings (more than 6,000 items) discovered during the building's renovation, a permanent cycle of debates on topics of public interest with experts from Brazil and abroad, as well as other initiatives and activities of the PGE Study Center.

Image description: This is a photograph of an art gallery inside a convent. The image shows three colorful paintings hanging on the walls. On the left side, there is a large painting with a variety of vibrant colors, including green, blue, pink, and yellow. In the center, there is a smaller painting with more pastel tones and geometric shapes. On the right, there are two large paintings together, also featuring bright colors and abstract shapes. The walls are white, and there is exposed brick architecture, particularly on one wall in the background. The floor is made of white square ceramic tiles.