t The convent’s serene, colonnaded courtyard
Located in the historical center of Pelourinho, this stunning 18th-century monument is one of Salvador’s most precious architectural gems. Behind its worn facade the church interior glows with gold leaf, while the convent cloisters and inner courtyard provide visitors tranquil seclusion from the world outside.
t The convent’s serene, colonnaded courtyard
Experience Salvador
t The Igreja e Convento de São Francisco, fronted by two towers
The complex of the Igreja e Convento de São Francisco, which was constructed between 1708 and 1750, is one of Brazil’s most impressive Baroque monuments. The convent’s church stands out for its rich and opulent interior; the inner walls and the ceiling are highly decorative and dazzling in gold. The main altar and the large side altars are magnificently carved out of wood and in typical Baroque style, ornately designed with angels, birds, mermaids, fruits, and leaves. An enormous silver chandelier hangs above intricate wooden carvings, and hand-painted blue-and-white Portuguese tiles.
Almost 55,000 tiles line the cloister walls, decorated with epigraphs by the poet Horace.
The finely carved and detailed sandstone facade of the church of the Third Order of St. Francis next door is the only one of its kind in Brazil. The facade remained hidden for many years behind a layer of plaster, only to be uncovered accidentally when wiring was being installed in the 1930s. The church also has a museum and a room of Franciscan tombs.