at the beginning of the 17th century a small chapel was built by the order of the carmelite sisters on the morro de santa teresa in the centre of rio - at the time the hill was called morro do desterro.

in 1620, the then governor of rio de janeiro donated the land to the sisters in order to allow the building of a convent. it was finally constructed in 1750 and after its completion  the name of the hill was changed to santa teresa, after the convent.