Now, as you look around, you’re surrounded by echoes of many eras. Imagine the provisional chapel and the first main church, later called the “Old Matrix” once the “New Matrix” was built. With time, divisions between parishes meant the square had to make room-a bit like a house that keeps adding more rooms for unexpected guests.
By 1870, city leaders decided the square needed a fashionable update and launched a beautification project. The square transformed, even housing the old Town Hall, the local jail, and the courthouse. Later, in 1889, it got a name change to Praça Bento Quirino, honoring a prominent local figure. Around you are storied buildings like the Colégio Bento Quirino and the Jockey Club Campineiro, giving Carmo Square its lively, dignified “neighborhood watch.”
But wait, there’s a dramatic twist-over on one side, you’ll see the tomb-monument to Maestro Carlos Gomes, the city’s legendary composer. In 1903, none other than the aviation pioneer Santos Dumont himself placed the cornerstone. When this majestic tribute was unveiled in 1905, it drew crowds from all over, marking Carmo Square as more than just the city’s origin point-but also its stage for celebration. Quite the showstopper!
