Roofless by Jaco Verheul

In the middle of the city of Lisbon, on the border of Chiado and Bairro Alto, you will find the Convento do Carmo, the Carmo Monastery. This imposing ruin mostly shows the traces of the great earthquake of 1755. But there is more than just that. At first, you might think that the Convento do Carmo stands there as a reminder of the earthquake, but once inside, you will see that the museum contains all kinds of things about a wide part of Portuguese history, from early Roman times to the 18th century. In the five rooms at the back, you'll find, among other things, a sarcophagus from Egypt and Portuguese azulejos more than 200 years old. But fair is fair, the main reason to visit the monastery is the atmosphere in the former church. For €4 (or €3.20 with your Lisboa Card), you can step straight from the busy city into a wonderfully serene sanctuary. Because despite there being no roof on it since the earthquake, you hear almost nothing of the city noise. Between the large pillars that used to carry the roof of the church, two green strips of artificial grass have been laid, which colour beautifully with the white pillars and (if you are lucky) the clear blue sky. You will find that you cannot stop taking photos: behind each pillar you will see a new perspective. The construction of the monastery and its church began in the late 14th century and lasted more than 30 years. The first inhabitants were monks of the Carmelite order, to which the monastery's founder, Nuno Alvares Pereira, also belonged