Discover São Cristóvão: A historical and religious treasure of Sergipe

São Cristóvão, in Sergipe, is a city rich in history and culture, with many tourist attractions to delight visitors.

Founded in 1590, it is the fourth oldest city in Brazil and has a well-preserved colonial architectural complex.

São Cristóvão is located about 25 kilometres from Aracaju.

Listed by IPHAN in 1939, São Cristóvão, like Salvador, was developed according to the Portuguese model of town planning, characterised by a division into an Upper Town (where the civil and religious powers were based) and a Lower Town (an area used mainly for the port and the poorer population).

The presence of a guide is not essential, but those who offer their services (in the Praça de São Francisco, outside the Museum of Sacred Art) are generally well informed.

History of São Cristóvão

São Cristóvão is the fourth oldest city in the country and was the first capital of Sergipe. It was founded by Cristóvão de Barros in 1590.

The city underwent several changes until it settled where it is today, on the banks of the Paramopama River, a tributary of the Vaza-Barris River.

In 1637 it was invaded by the Dutch and virtually destroyed. The Luso-Spanish troops, under the command of the Count of Bagnoli, tried to prevent enemy supplies by setting fire to crops, scattering livestock and encouraging the population to desert. The Dutch, finding the city half deserted, completed the work of destruction.

In 1645 the Dutch were expelled from the Captaincy of Sergipe, leaving the city in ruins. At the end of the 18th century, Sergipe was annexed to Bahia, and São Cristóvão became the seat of an ombudsman.

In 1710 it was invaded by the inhabitants of Vila Nova, in the northern region of Sergipe, who were rebelling against the collection of taxes by Portugal. In the mid 18th century the town was completely rebuilt.

In 1763 Sergipe was invaded by blacks from the Mocambos and hunted Indians.

On 8 July 1820, by decree of Dom João VI, Sergipe was emancipated from Bahia and made a Province of the Empire of Brazil, with São Cristóvão as its capital.

At the end of the first half of the century, the mill owners led a movement to move the capital to another region where there was a harbour capable of receiving larger ships to facilitate the flow of sugar production, the main source of the economy at the time.

On 17 March 1855, the then president of the province, Inácio Joaquim Barbosa, transferred the capital to Aracaju.

From then on, the city went through a process of depopulation decline and crisis, which was only resolved at the beginning of the 20th century with the arrival of the textile factories and the railway.

Video – History and Tourist Attractions of São Cristóvão in Sergipe

São Cristóvão SE Attractions

The parish of São Cristóvão is known nationally for having been declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Inaugurated in 2010, the Praça São Francisco is made up of public and private buildings that bear witness to the time when the crowns of Portugal and Spain were united. The most important of these is the complex of the Church and Convent of San Francisco.

1. St Francis Square
2. Surroundings of Praça de São Francisco
3. Historical Museum of Sergipe
4. Mother Church of Our Lady of Victory
5. Monastery and Church of Santa Cruz (or São Francisco)
6. Museum of Sacred Art of São Cristóvão
7. Church of St Francis
8. Church of Santa Izabel and Santa Casa de Misericórdia
9. Convent and Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

1. Plaza San Francisco

It is one of the city’s most outstanding heritage sites, representing an exceptional and homogeneous monumental ensemble of public and private buildings.

Built between the 16th and 17th centuries, it uniquely demonstrates the fusion of Spanish and Portuguese legislation and practices in the formation of colonial urban centres.

The Praça de São Francisco is an urban settlement that fuses the standards of land occupation followed by Portugal and the norms defined for cities established by Spain.

As such, its authenticity is explicit in its design, environment, techniques, use, function and historical and cultural context.

2. Surroundings of São Francisco Square

In the surroundings of Praça de São Francisco you can find

• Misericórdia Church
• Provincial Palace and old houses
• Church and Convent of St Francis
• Chapel of the Third Order (now the Museum of Sacred Art)
• Santa Casa, Sergipe Museum
• Zeca de Noberto Folklore House

Built to the length and width required by Law IX of the Philippine Ordinances, it incorporates the concept of the Praça Maior, as used in the colonial cities of Hispanic America, into the Portuguese urban pattern of a colonial city in a tropical landscape.

It can therefore be considered a remarkable symbiosis between the urban planning of cities of Iberian origin. The relevant civil and religious institutional buildings, the most important of which is the complex of the Church and Convent of St Francis, convey an exceptional universal value and remain intact and complete.

3. Historical Museum of Sergipe

Located in Praça São Francisco, this 18th century building houses the main elements that help to tell the history of Sergipe.

The Sergipe Historical Museum is located in the former Provincial Palace. It is a baroque building from the end of the 18th century, which was the residence of the presidents of the province of Sergipe, as well as housing the City Hall, a school and the Tax Office. It also hosted King Pedro II when he visited the city in 1860.

There are 13 rooms for visitors, with permanent and temporary exhibitions.

The collection brings together relics, including the famous painting by Horácio Pinto da Hora depicting Ceci and Peri (the main characters in José de Alencar‘s novel *O Guarani*), Furniture, documents, coins, crockery and other relics that show the importance of São Cristóvão in the historical context.

4. The Parish Church of Our Lady of Victory

Built on the top of a hill, it was the original centre of the upper town.

Nossa Senhora da Vitória was built as a parish church in 1608 by Dom Constantino Barradas, the fourth bishop of Bahia, during the pontificate of Pope Paul V. It bears the coat of arms of Philip IV of Spain, as Brazil was a colony within the Iberian Union (1580-1640).

The church was eventually elevated to a Bishop’s See. It was badly damaged during the eight years of Dutch rule in St Kitts, from 1637 to 1645; the town served alternately as a base for Portuguese guerrillas and a seat of power for the Dutch.

After the end of Dutch rule, St Kitts was greatly expanded and the church rebuilt by the locals.

The town appealed to the King of Portugal for a complete renovation of the church in 1666, which included [details of renovation, if available]. Finally, in 1702, the city received 4,000 cruzados.

The Igreja Matriz Nossa Senhora da Vitória served as the nucleus for the construction of other religious buildings in São Cristóvão; Its renovation was followed by the construction of the Church and Convent of Santa Cruz (Convento de São Francisco in 1693), the Convent and Church of the Order of Carmo (1699), the Hospital and Church of Misericórdia and the Church of Nossa Senhora do Carmo, Rosário dos Homens Negros (1743).

Building

Our Lady of Victory was built on the side of a hill at the highest point of the upper town. It stands at the top of Praça São Francisco de Assis, now known as Praça Getúlio.

It has an imposing façade with two towers covered in white Portuguese tiles. The doors of the church are decorated with wood. The interior is simple, with paintings attributed to José Teófilo de Jesus (1758-1847).

5. Convent and Church of Santa Cruz (or São Francisco)

The Convent and Church of Santa Cruz, in São Cristóvão-SE, is also known as the Convent and Church of São Francisco.

The architectural complex known as the Convent of São Francisco includes the Church, the Convent and the Third Order, which today houses the Museum of Sacred Art.

The construction of the monastery was decided in 1657, when the Franciscan friars arrived in São Cristóvão. The superior of the order was Luiz do Rosário, a Portuguese Franciscan.

In 1659 the church and the Franciscan retreat were built. The first stone of the convent was laid in 1693, but the complex was not completed until the second half of the 18th century due to the poverty of the Franciscan order and society at that time.

The friars had to rely on charity to finance the construction of the church. They asked the millers, the people who were better off at the time, to build the altars.

As well as the material value, there is also a sentimental value, since the friars who built the altars had the help of the Jesuits and the local population, who also contributed, as well as slave labour, which played an important role in the construction of these places.

In front of the church and convent is the Cruzeiro, built in 1658 and the symbol of the mission.

The church is one of the most detailed in the municipality. From floor to ceiling, its beauty enchants visitors and worshippers alike. As soon as you enter the room, you can see the arches.

The space between the church and the square used to be a place for people to chat before attending religious services.

In the centre of the building, the altar of St Benedict welcomes visitors, while further to the right and left are the images of St Anthony and Our Lady of the Conception, the patron saint of the church.

The altars are gilded and on the ceiling is the original painting of St Francis of Assisi taking down Jesus Christ from the cross. This painting represents a dream that St Francis had in which he helped Jesus in his suffering. This is the only painting that tells of the Franciscan presence inside the church.

There is another image of St Francis on the outside of the building. Unlike the others, the saint holds a skull in his hands. According to Catholic belief, the image represents “sister death”. It is also original.

Although it retains some of its original features, the structure of the church has been altered over the years.

The floors are no longer the same as they were when the church was founded, and replicas have been laid to replace them. The church’s original tower was demolished in 1844 when it developed large cracks that threatened the structure.

In the convent section, the architecture is striking. The site has a stonework cloister whose artistic work is considered unique in Franciscan convents in Brazil.

It also has a system of isolated vertical pillars rather than columns, which is unique in the Northeast.

The room once housed the General Treasury, the Provincial Assembly, the Library, the Infirmary and the General Post Office. It remained abandoned for many years, serving as a barracks for troops of the Canudos War battalion.

Since 1980, the convent has been used as a venue for religious and technical meetings, and is now one of the most popular places in Sergipe for Catholic retreats and gatherings.

After so many years, the convent and the church continue to honour a centuries-old tradition. Every Tuesday, for almost 400 years, there has been a Mass and the blessing of St Francis, which brings the faithful together every week in the religious temple.

6. Museum of Sacred Art in São Cristóvão

To the left of the convent is the former chapel of the Third Order of St Francis, which now houses the Museum of Sacred Art.

The Museum of Sacred Art in São Cristóvão, opened in 1974, is one of the three most important of its kind in Brazil (the others are in São Paulo and Bahia).

Considered one of the most important in Brazil for this type of collection, it houses works from the 17th to the 20th centuries.

On the two floors of the building, visitors can see wooden and gilded altars, articulated images, furniture, ancient artefacts and the convent chapel (open only on certain religious dates).

Among its treasures – which date from the 17th century – are the Throne of the Blessed Sacrament, in gilded cedar, and two Crucified Christs, in ivory. In total, the museum has more than 500 catalogued pieces, all of which once belonged to the State of Sergipe.

7. Church of St Francis

Located in the centre of the monastery, the Church of São Francisco was declared a protected monument in 1941, highlighting its importance in the preservation of Brazil’s historical and cultural heritage.

Predominantly Rococo in style, the church has an altar with designs in the form of flowers, fruit, shells, bows, etc., all covered in gold leaf.

On the altar there is the image of Crucified Christ and next to it the image of St Francis of Assisi. Further on, the image of Our Lady of the Conception and, to its right, the image of St Anthony, are of great importance in the Catholic tradition, symbolising the faith and devotion of the faithful.

On the ceiling are two paintings by the Bahian painter José Teófilo de Jesus, dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. José Teófilo is renowned for his contributions to the sacred art of the region, and these works reflect the cultural and religious richness of the period.

8. Church of Santa Izabel and Santa Casa de Misericórdia

A Baroque construction dating from the first half of the 17th century and completed at the beginning of the 18th century, the complex comprising the Santa Casa de Misericórdia and the Church of Santa Izabel is one of the historic buildings of São Cristóvão.

Listed by the National Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN), this room in Praça São Francisco houses relics and memories of those who have passed through the city over the years.

The Santa Casa, where the City Hall now stands, was originally built as a hospital, but from the 20th century it became an asylum and later an orphanage.

From 1922 to 2017 it was run by the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God. According to the executive director of the João Bebe-Água Culture and Tourism Foundation, Gaspeu Fontes, the site was the site of historic events in the municipality of São Cristóvão.

“These lands were donated to the Brotherhood of Mercy in 1608, and this was the site of the Santa Casa de Misericórdia (Holy House of Mercy), which received the Portuguese who took part in the wars of that period”.

“On 12 April 1907, the administration of the Santa Casa was handed over to the vicar of São Cristóvão by the treasurer, Captain Elias de Oliveira,” recalls Gaspeu.

The room functioned as a lunatic asylum until 1911, when it became an orphanage. An icon of San Cristóvão folklore and one of the great figures of the city’s history, Jorge dos Santos, popularly known as Seu Jorge do Estandarte, tells us about the dynamics of the old Santa Casa at that time.

“The orphanage housed the children of mothers who worked in the old factories and were unable to raise them, so they were given to the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. I was a choirboy and attended Mass, where I saw the affection the sisters had for the children and vice versa. This house is of great value to the people of San Cristóvo; it is not only a religious house, but it has a lot to offer”.

9. Convent and Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

The Carmo complex is located in the Praça Senhor dos Passos, in the upper part of the city, overlooking the Nossa Senhora da Vitória church and the Vaza Barris river. It is considered one of the most important symbols of the historical and religious heritage of the São Cristóvão parish.

The religious, historical and architectural complex consists of the Convent Church of Nossa Senhora do Carmo, known as the Carmo Maior, the Chapel of the Third Order or the Carmo Menor, the Museum of Ex-votos and the Memorial of Santa Dulce dos Pobres, recently built and maintained by the Carmelite Brothers.

The Baroque complex was built 109 years after the founding of the city, in a project that spanned the 17th and 18th centuries, beginning in 1699 with the Carmelite friars, who arrived in the city around 1618 to spread their work.

For several periods after its foundation, the church, especially the one we call the Carmo Maior, lost its originality in terms of architecture and ornamentation.

This loss was mainly due to the need for restorations, such as the enlargement of the chapel, which took place in 1739 and lasted until 1745 and 1766, the last date inscribed on the façade of the church.

These changes, which took place over the years, were responsible for the loss of the original style of the churches.

When the Dutch arrived in São Cristóvão in 1637, there was a small convent, which they soon destroyed. From then on, the convent and churches had to be rebuilt several times, resulting in many changes to the original construction, especially in the Carmo Maior, which went from baroque to neoclassical.

Today the site is used as a novitiate convent, a place where the younger friars live before taking their vows.

In spite of the changes it has undergone over the years, the main feature of the complex today is the wealth of details, from the doors, the columns of the cloisters that connect the churches, the secondary altars of Carmo Menor that have withstood the renovations, and the paintings on the walls and ceilings that tell the history of the Carmelite Order and that of St. Teresa, who was closely linked to the Order.

The church of Carmo Menor was founded out of the need to bring together the so-called Catholic laity, those who were immersed in spirituality, passing on the faith and divine precepts, but without the need for celibacy.

The place is also known for housing the image of Senhor dos Passos (Lord of the Stairs), which was curiously found by fishermen, wrapped in a box in the Paramopama River, with a note saying “for the city of Sergipe Del Rey”.

The image was taken to the brothers, who happened to have a devotion to Senhor dos Passos. When it arrived, it was not placed on the side altar, but on the main altar, due to the level of devotion.

The story of the discovery of the image of the Lord of the Steps by fishermen spread quickly and became an important part of the religious life of the people of San Francisco.

Later, the friars had Our Lady of Solitude, known as Our Lady of Sorrows, made to accompany the Lord of the Steps in the traditional procession that attracts many pilgrims to the city each year.

The procession of the Lord of the Steps has European characteristics, such as the custom of covering or passing under the image.

There is also the presence of candles, which, according to local tradition, is due to the fact that the fishermen needed light during the journey with the image from the Paramopama River to the Carmo churches.

The vast majority of the paintings in these churches are of Portuguese origin, including St Anthony, Our Lady of the Good Death, Our, Lord of the Stairs, Our Lady of the Sorrows, Our Lady of Good Success, St Albert of Jerusalem, among others, except for Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which is of Spanish origin.

There are more recent images in the church, made to complete some Carmelite devotions: St Mary Magdalene of Pazzi, St Teresa of Avila and St Elias.

The entire collection of churches is listed by the National Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN), except for the most recent ones, which were made of wood in Brazil.

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