28Oct
Concert · 440 years
Commemorative Concert for the 440th anniversary
The Polyphonia Schola Cantorum choir celebrates the 440 years of the Flemish Nuns' Church. Wednesday 28 October, 9:00 pm.
Igreja das Flamengas · Lisbon · since 1582
A place of peace and reflection
in the heart of the city.
Celebrating 440 years of open doors in 2026.
Dedicated to Our Lady of Quietude, it holds the heart of King Pedro II and four centuries of Franciscan devotion by the Tagus.
— from the @igrejadasflamengas Instagram
Our history
Four centuries of quietude by the Tagus.
PONT.
CONSIL.
CULT.
CONSIL.
CULT.
MDLXXXII
Great Panorama of Lisbon · c. 1700The Flemish Convent and the Alcântara riverfront, depicted in an azulejo panel today at the National Tile Museum.
The Convent was founded in the reign of King Philip I of Portugal to receive Poor Clare nuns from the Low Countries — many from the city of Alkmaar, in Holland — who were at that time the object of Protestant persecution. It was a convent of Capuchin Poor Clares of Xabregas. The nuns entered the new building on 8 December 1586. In 1645, King John IV greatly increased the alms and a very close relationship was established between the Convent and the House of Braganza.
It survived the 1755 earthquake with little damage. It hosted two royal weddings. It holds the heart of King Pedro II, laid here in 1706 — perpetual judge of the Brotherhood. Inside, it preserves an important group of paintings by Bento Coelho da Silveira, azulejo panels narrating the arrival of the nuns, and a devotional image of c. 1590 — vested, across the centuries, by the queens of Portugal.
Following the death of the last nun in January 1887, the Convent was suppressed and passed into the ownership of the Public Treasury. After several petitions, in 1891 the Church and its dependencies were entrusted to the Royal Brotherhood of Our Lady of Quietude — to this day, 440 years of open doors.
1582Arrival in Lisbon of the first four nuns, from the Low Countries.
1586The nuns enter the new building on 8 December.
1666Marriage of King Afonso VI to Marie Françoise of Savoy.
1686A papal brief (24 July) establishes — or renews — the Brotherhood of Our Lady of Quietude.
1706Heart of King Pedro II laid in the church, at a spot marked by a stone plaque.
1873Last record, in the Lisbon almanacs, of the procession of Our Lady of Quietude, held on the afternoon of 15 August; it ceased around this time.
1887Death of the last nun; suppression of the Convent.
1891Church and dependencies entrusted to the Royal Brotherhood.
2021Our Lady of Quietude returns in procession to the streets of Alcântara, 150 years on — Diário de Notícias, 8 Dec 2021.
2026The Church celebrates 440 years of open doors.
Architecture and art
- 1582–1586
- First building, designed (attrib.) by the architect Nicolau de Frias.
- 1619–1634
- Near-complete rebuilding by his son, Teodósio de Frias, royal architect, who is buried in the church (1634).
- Séc. XVII
- Grotesque-style ceiling painting attributed to Gabriel del Barco.
- 1685–1694
- Canvases by Bento Coelho da Silveira for the church, and the paintings of the Rosary Hall (1694).
- Séc. XVII
- Sacristy rebuilt at the expense of the magistrate João Van Vessem, with a cycle of ten canvases — the Way of Perfection — based on the engravings of the Regia Via Crucis (Antwerp, 1635). Two of them, restored, were shown in 1998 as "Allegory of the Cross".
- 1780–1786
- Works on the chancel and church, paid for mainly by the nuns through alms and dowries (Queen Maria I contributed to the convent roof in 1780). In 1786 the church is lined with 18 azulejo panels: the flight and welcome of the nuns, with biblical captions on requies — rest, the "quietude" that gives the church its name.
- 1800
- Chancel ceiling with a painting by Pedro Alexandrino de Carvalho.
- 2024
- The church and convent are officially in the process of classification as cultural heritage (Notice no. 299/2024, Diário da República).
Sources: SIPA · IPA.00005940 · Wikipédia · Fr. Agostinho de Santa Maria, Santuário Mariano, t. I (1707) · Noticias da doença, morte, e funeral de D. Pedro II (1707) · Fagel & Spaans, Nonnen verdreven door geuzen (2019), com estudo de J. M. Simões · Diário de Notícias (2021) · RTP (2020)
The Brotherhood
Royal Brotherhood of Our Lady of Quietude.
The Royal Brotherhood of Our Lady of Quietude is a public association of Catholic faithful, canonically established in the Church of the Convent of Our Lady of Quietude, commonly known as the Flemish Convent, in the parish of Alcântara, Lisbon.
No document records the exact date of the Brotherhood's foundation. According to the convent's inventory (Torre do Tombo archives), it was established — or renewed — by papal brief of 24 July 1686. It is called the Royal Brotherhood because King Pedro II was its perpetual judge, as the Santuário Mariano records in 1707. In 1706, the year of the monarch's death, his heart was laid in the church, at a spot marked by a stone plaque.
The King's last days. King Pedro II died in the neighbouring Alcântara Palace on 9 December 1706. The official account of his illness and death, printed in 1707, tells that on the eve — the feast of the Immaculate Conception — the Blessed Sacrament was brought to him "from the Church of Our Lady of Quietude of the Flemish Nuns". That night, along with other devotional images, the statue of Our Lady of Quietude was carried to his bedchamber, and the King commended himself to her, asking for "that eternal rest" which her very name promised him.
♕
KING PEDRO II
1648 — 1706
The passage to the Royal Brotherhood
31 · Jan · 1887
Following the process of integrating the possessions of the religious orders into the Public Treasury, the Brotherhood of Our Lady of Quietude petitions for the ownership of the church, the chapter house, the sacristy and the respective movable property which belonged to the suppressed convent.
25 · Abr · 1889
The Royal Brotherhood of Our Lady of Quietude obtains the grant of the church, the sacristy, the chapter house and the chaplain's residence, along with other religious objects.
23 · Jul · 1890
The decree officially entrusting the Church and its dependencies to the Brotherhood is promulgated.
The Board
The current Board.
The current Board, elected by the Royal Brotherhood in February 2026, is awaiting the approval of the Patriarchate of Lisbon. Once confirmed, its members will be presented here.
Composition being updated. The names and portraits of the new Board will be published here once approved by the Patriarchate of Lisbon.
For institutional contacts, please write to realirmandadequietacao@gmail.com.
Restoration under way
A campaign unlike any other in Portugal.
In September 2020, the Pontifical Council for Culture (today part of the Dicastery for Culture and Education) granted its high patronage to the restoration of the sacristy and the 17th-century rooms of the Flemish Nuns' Church and Convent. The conservation programme also covers the gilded woodwork, the ceilings and the Rosary Hall.
Every donation goes to the restoration of a specific piece. To help, write to us: donation details will be available soon and we will let you know as soon as they are.
Currently under restorationGilded woodwork of the high altar
What is being restored
Work focuses on the nave, the main reredos with the image of Our Lady of Quietude, the 17th-century sacristy (rebuilt at the expense of the magistrate João Van Vessem) and the Rosary Hall — bringing together conservation of gilded woodwork, paintings on wood, azulejos and stucco.
The amount donated always goes to a specific piece, and the Brotherhood keeps patrons informed of the work's progress.
Gilded woodwork
Historic azulejos
Paintings by Bento Coelho
Ceiling stucco
17th-c. sacristy
Rosary Hall
Patroness
Our Lady of Quietude.
The image of Our Lady of Quietude, still standing today on the high altar, was commissioned around 1590 by the family of Sister Ana da Glória, a Flemish novice, for the new convent at Alcântara. She continues to be venerated for her bond with serenity and peace — virtues that give the devotion its name and the house its spirit.
The veil that covers her today was donated by a bride who was married in this church — an act of gratitude and offering kept alive in the Brotherhood's memory.
Social action
The Brotherhood's solidarity.
The social action of the Royal Brotherhood of Our Lady of Quietude was started during the pandemic, in 2020, by the then President of the Brotherhood's Board. It aims to help the most disadvantaged and those facing poverty — especially immigrants newly arrived in Portugal — with household items and clothing, thanks to donations made to the Brotherhood.
Anyone in need, or interested in supporting this social work, may contact us through the details on the contact section.
Visit
Enter. Stay. Pray.
The church is open to the faithful, to visitors, and to researchers. Here are the essentials.
H
Opening hours
Monday to Friday: 08:00 – 18:00
Saturday: 08:30 – 10:00 · 16:30 – 19:00
Sunday: 08:30 – 10:00
M
Address
Rua 1.º de Maio, 20 (Calvário), 1300-474 Lisbon.
Trams 15E and 18E and buses 714, 720, 727, 732, 738, 742, 751, 756 and 760 (Calvário stop, 2 min away). Train: Alcântara-Mar or Alcântara-Terra, about a 9-min walk.
V
Guided visits
Guided tours on history, architecture and sacred art, by prior booking.
Book a visit →E
Events and celebrations
For concerts, lectures, celebrations and other events compatible with the character of the church, please contact us by email.
Request information →Accessibility: the church entrance has steps and does not yet have a ramp. If you need assistance, please contact us before your visit.
News & events
What's happening.
06Dec
Save the Date · 440 years
440th Anniversary Mass and Christmas Concert
In the morning, an unforgettable Mass to commemorate the 440 years of the Church. In the evening, at 19:30, a Christmas Concert by the Polyphonia Schola Cantorum.
Exact time and celebrant to be confirmed.
Highlights
Recent highlights.
"Live in Concert Lisbon" — Umoja Voices and the Lisbon Community Choir
On 17 October, Umoja Voices and the Lisbon Community Choir filled the church with music and brought the audience to its feet.
The Saint Anthony throne of the 440th year
In the church's 440th year, its throne was one of the most admired in the Museu de Lisboa's Saint Anthony Thrones street exhibition 2026.
"A Beatles Extravaganza" — Ensemble Vocal Atlântico
On 6 June, the Ensemble Vocal Atlântico filled the church with an a cappella Beatles concert. The recordings are on the Brotherhood's Instagram.
The videos are hosted on Instagram. When loaded, the content is served by Meta.
INSTAGRAM
The life of the church, day by day.
Follow us — @igrejadasflamengas on Instagram.
48Posts
299Followers
2026Active on
18 · Apr · 2026
The veiled altar. Lenten season in the church — purple over gilded woodwork.
01 · Apr · 2026
Solemn Paschal Triduum 2026 — full bilingual programme with accompanied chant.
16 · Mar · 2026
King Pedro II — 320 years on. Palácio de Fronteira. Maria Paula Marçal Lourenço.
11 · Mar · 2026
Pilgrimage to Assisi. A rose-garden without thorns. Saint Francis, 800 years on.
25 · Feb · 2026
"A place that does not announce itself. It reveals itself." — faith, silence and art.
22 · Feb · 2026
Auction in aid of the restoration. Selected pieces and objects. Dates and catalogue soon.
19 · Feb · 2026
Our Lady returned to the streets of Alcântara in procession in 2021 — 150 years on.
10 · Mar · 2026
Thank you, Dr. Eunice Costa. For your dedication — and for bringing Our Lady back to the streets.
“
A place that does not announce itself. It reveals itself. Behind discreet walls, faith shows itself less in discourse and more in the details: in repeated gestures, in architecture that welcomes recollection, in works that speak quietly but endure.
from the church's Instagram, 2026
Privacy policy
How we handle your data.
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Location
How to get here
Rua 1.º de Maio, 20 (Calvário), 1300-474 Lisbon. Trams 15E and 18E and buses 714, 720, 727, 732, 738, 742, 751, 756 and 760 (Calvário stop, 2 min away). Train: Alcântara-Mar or Alcântara-Terra, about a 9-min walk.
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