The high choir of the Convent of Carmo - Guimarães

The church we are talking about is located in the Convent of Carmo and is a temple where you can see the baroque Johannine altarpieces on the main and side altars commissioned in 1746, as well as the huge 18th century image of Santo António. The high choir is a space that remains hidden from the city's postcards and tourist guides.Construction of the Carmelite convent began in 1685 and was completed two years later. In the mid-18th century, the main chapel was built by order of the Archbishop of Braga, José de Bragança. The high choir is the same height and has remained virtually untouched since its inception. The main elements are of enormous beauty, such as the central niche, with an altarpiece of gilded grating, protecting the image of Nossa Senhora do Carmo. A two-row bench surrounds the room, decorated all around, with wooden panels painted with floral motifs and, on the back, religious representations. Above the boiler, also around the choir, there are dots with phytomorphic motifs that decorate the walls .The text in boxes, with floral motifs and painted angels, gives unity and depth to the space.The main altar of the church is also painted with the same motifs and, although with a new falsely baroque altar, it masks visibility, allowing to give some unity to the set, accentuated by the golden carved valances that top the high choir when viewed from the interior of the church. There are two ways to reach the high choir. From the church, you need to climb a steep wooden staircase, which is accessed on the right side of the temple. The other option is through the interior of the convent, through a side door. The high choir was also a private chapel of the Carmelite friars and today continues to host a daily mass for the inmates of the Lar de Santa Estefânia, which took over the convent after 1860.