The church and convent of São Francisco, built in the 18th century, is one of the richest in Brazil and the most lavish in Salvador. It is considered by some to be the finest example of Portuguese Baroque in the world.

Its origins date back to 1686, following a design by Father Vicente das Chagas.

The convent was built first, and in 1708 the first stone of the church was laid. The building was completed in 1723, but the decoration took even longer.

The convent was completed in 1752, but the entire complex was not finished until 1782, when the tiles were laid and the entrance completed.

In the 20th century, the buildings underwent several restorations.

See also the other churches in Salvador, Bahia.

Videos about the Church and Monastery of São Francisco in Salvador

Features and history of the church and monastery of São Francisco

Special Features

The layout of the church is unusual among Franciscan buildings in northeastern Brazil, as it has three naves, whereas the most common design has only one nave.

The façade, which faces a large square with a cross, has a Mannerist influence, with two relatively simple side towers and a more decorated central volume, especially on the pediment.

The church is particularly valuable for its lavish interior decoration.

All the surfaces of the interior – walls, columns, ceiling, chapels – are covered with intricate carving and gilding, with finials, friezes, arches, volutes and numerous figures of angels and birds scattered throughout, as well as panels of Portuguese tiles with various moral scenes and inscriptions.

It is considered one of the most important expressions of the Baroque style in Brazil.

The ceiling is decorated with paintings by Frei Jerônimo da Graça, made between 1733 and 1737.

The side entrance to the monastery has an illusionist painting on the ceiling attributed to José Joaquim da Rocha in the second half of the 18th century.

Built around a square cloister, the convent has a basement and two floors above street level.

Its interior is decorated with rich tile panels from the first half of the 18th century, some of which were made by Bartolomeu Antunes de Jesus in 1737, in Lisbon.

The history

The first disciples of Saint Francis of Assisi arrived in Salvador in 1587, the year in which the first monastery was probably founded.

A few decades later, when the Dutch invaded in 1624, both the church and the monks’ quarters were in ruins and the complex had to be rebuilt.

And with the growth of the Order, in 1686, the Franciscan superior, Fr. Vicente das Chagas, promoted works not only for expansion, but practically for the construction of a new convent and a new church, much larger than the previous ones.

The foundation stone of the new church was laid on the feast of St Anthony that year.

The work took many years and involved several generations of friars. In 1713, under the direction of the superior Hilário da Visitação, the church already had altars (still without gold) and was consecrated.

However, the general structure of the building would not be completed until ten years later, when the façade, entirely in stone, was finished.

Throughout the 18th century, many additions were made to embellish the church: new altars were built (and the existing ones were covered in gold), the ceiling was decorated, the walls were covered with tiles from Lisbon, balustrades were installed, etc.

This church is considered one of the most beautiful in Brazil and one of the best examples of Portuguese Baroque architecture in the world.

Below, a detail of the stone façade, highlighting the image of Saint Francis and the symbol of the Franciscan Order (the arms of Christ crossed with those of Saint Francis). The same emblem is the coat of arms of Portugal.

Below: The framed paintings on the ceiling depict scenes from the lives of Christ and the Virgin Mary, as well as characters from the Old Testament who were their predecessors.

The cross arch bears the same coat of arms as the Franciscan Order, with the Coat of arms of Portugal.

On the two side altars, on the left, is an image of the Immaculate Conception (a devotion particularly promoted by the Franciscans) and, on the right, St Anthony of Lisbon (or Padua), who was also a disciple of St Francis.

Below is an overview of the church.

The side chapels are dedicated to Saint Anne, Saint Lucy and Saint Euphemia on one side, and to Saint Benedict, Saint Peter of Alcantara and Saint Joseph on the other. The rosewood balustrades are the work of Brother Luís de Jesus, a Franciscan lay brother.

Above, Altar of the Immaculate Conception.

Below, Altar of the Transept, dedicated to Saint Louis of Toulouse.

And below, the altar on the opposite side of the transept, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Glory.

Below is the main chapel, with its lavish gilded wood carvings.

The floor of the main chapel is made of marble in different colours, carved to represent foliage. The floor was brought from Portugal in 1738. The tiles on the walls, also Portuguese, depict scenes from the life of Saint Francis.

On the throne of the high altar is the image of St Francis before the Crucified Lord – the reality of the Cross and the Sacrifice, the foundation of Christianity, reigning over all the grace and exuberance of the Baroque.

Cloister of the Convent of São Francisco in Salvador

In 1749, when the Franciscan superior was friar Manuel de Santa Maria, the cloister of the convent was completed. Adjacent to the church, it is decorated with the largest collection of Portuguese tiles in Brazil.

The prints represent thoughts from a Spanish work called “Moral Theatre of Human Life and All Philosophy of the Ancients and Moderns”, which in turn was inspired by the work “Emblemas de Horácio”, published in Belgium in 1608.

The inscription above reads: “Rich is he who desires nothing”.

The message above reads: “Death awaits all equally”. On the left is a king and on the right a poor man, both struck down by death.

The sentence above reads: “Virtue lies in the middle”. This idea comes from Aristotle and is represented in the engraving by a woman between two other women, one a hoarder (on the left) and the other a spendthrift (on the right).

The simplicity and rusticity of the other spaces in the convent, including the refectories, rooms and cells, testify to the fact that there was a clear dividing line between the splendour of divine worship and the poverty and disconnectedness in the personal lives of the friars (vow of poverty).

Bahia.ws is the largest tourist guide for Bahia and Salvador.

Tourist Guide to the Church and Convent of São Francisco in Salvador

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