Igreja da Ordem Terceira do Carmo, Colonial church in Goiana, Brazil.
Igreja da Ordem Terceira do Carmo is a Baroque Mannerist church in central Goiana, built from limestone after 1672. Its entrance hall is richly carved and painted, and the towers show symmetrical lines linked to Arab architecture. Wooden images from the 16th and 17th centuries are kept inside, and a small chapel left of the main altar holds Nossa Senhora das Lágrimas.
Construction of this church began in 1666 after Friar Alberto do Espírito Santo received permission to establish a convent in Goiana because of the distance from Olinda. The project responded to the pastoral needs of the growing community in the interior region during that colonial period.
The convent's name of Santo Alberto is attributed by some historians to its founder, Friar Alberto do Espírito Santo. The entrance hall is carved and painted, and the church keeps images in hardwood from the 16th and 17th centuries. Left of the main altar stands a small chapel dedicated to Bom Jesus dos Passos, holding an image of Nossa Senhora das Lágrimas.
The church is located at Praça Frei Caneca in the city center and is easy to find when walking through Goiana. Visitors should wear respectful clothing and behave appropriately when entering this sacred space.
Local stories speak of an underground tunnel supposedly connecting the church cross to Igreja do Carmo and allegedly built by Dutch settlers. Though unverified, this tale reflects how the community values its colonial past and the different groups that shaped the area.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,814 contributors worldwide.