By willdias on Skatehive
The history of the temple begins in the 16th century, when Rio de Janeiro was a small village, with buildings concentrated in the region between Morro do Castelo and Morro de São Bento. These two hills were connected by a straight street, which, because of its layout, was soon called Rua 'Direita' da Misericórdia. With the discovery of gold in Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro began to play a more prominent role on the Brazilian scene. The city's population increased, and its port became the busiest in the country. This growth was soon reflected in the city's buildings, which began to have more big houses, public buildings, and also larger churches. At the same time, the old Ó church began to crumble, and the friars decided to replace it with another temple, which would be the convent church, dedicated to the Virgin under the title of "Nossa Senhora do Carmo". Its construction started in 1761 - almost at the same time as the neighboring Third Order church. In the year 1808, a new chapter wo