In 1665, Captain Diogo Cavalcanti Vasconcelos began the construction of the basilica and ordered the execution of the main chapel at his own expense, without the royal license which, demanded in 1674, was granted only on March 8, 1687.

In that same year the Reduto da Boa Vista, erected by John Maurice, Prince of Nassau-Siegen, was donated to the Order to be integrated into the complex of the basilica and the convent.

Above, a triangular frontispiece of truncated vertices and curved sides, with the shield of the Order, heavy flowery volutes, and culminating with a niche with an image of Our Lady, pinnacles and a cross.

Among the highlights are the twelve secondary altars and the main chapel, with its fabulous altarpiece with a life-size image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, lined with angels and saints, in a frame of luxuriant work of gold carving.

A recent restoration project, which removed the overcoating layers, revealed all the beauty of the marbled decoration typical of the 18th century, with the basilica being reopened on July 6, 2001, after three years of work.