The church of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim is not the most beautiful, but it is certainly the most famous in Salvador for the traditional “Lavagem do Bonfim” (washing of Bonfim), a celebration marked by women dressed in traditional Bahian costumes throwing water on the steps of the temple in a party that lasts all day, accompanied by afoxé music groups.

Dorival Caymmi sang in one of his songs, “A igreja Senhor do Bonfim” (The Church of Senhor do Bonfim), that Salvador has 365 churches so that the people of Bahia can celebrate their faith in a different church every day of the year.

No one knows for sure how many Catholic temples there really are in Bahia’s capital, and some say there are more.

What is certain is that the Catholic churches that have been built here since the city’s foundation hold stories beyond relics. They transport the visitor to a past where faith and art were united on the same altar.

The churches of Salvador are of different styles, from baroque to neoclassical.

They were built with a wide variety of materials, from lime stone to gold. Some still have oil-painted panels and ceilings, tiles from Portugal and holy images that are works of art.

Details that make the temples of Salvador much more than just places of worship, they are monuments of inestimable artistic value.

Video – History of the Church of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim

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História da Igreja de Nosso Senhor do Bonfim

History of the construction of the Bonfim Church

The Chapel of Senhor do Bonfim, located in the city of Setúbal, Portugal, has a history dating back to the 17th century.

The Chapel of Senhor do Bonfim was built in 1669 in the city of Setúbal, Portugal. It was originally known as the “Anjo da Guarda” (Guardian Angel), but was later renamed the Church of Senhor do Bonfim.

Devotion to Senhor do Bonfim gained strength when Dom João V, in front of the image of Senhor do Bonfim, made promises for the restoration of the health of his father, King Dom Pedro II.

Theodózio Rodrigues de Faria, a captain in the Portuguese navy and a devout Catholic, made a promise during a storm.

He swore that if he survived, he would bring back to Brazil images of Senhor Jesus do Bonfim and Nossa Senhora da Guia. Thus, on 18 April 1745, a replica of the image was brought from his native Setúbal and the construction of the Church of Senhor do Bonfim began. At the same time, the cult of Senhor do Bonfim and Nossa Senhora da Guia began with the creation of the Brotherhood of Devotion to Senhor Bom Jesus do Bonfim, recognised by Archbishop Dom José Botelho de Matos.

Construction of the chapel began in 1746, and on 24 June 1754, after the interior work was completed, the sacred image was taken in procession from the Chapel of Penha to Bonfim Hill. The sixth viceroy of Brazil participated in the celebration, together with the population, in a solemn mass.

In 1772, work on the chapel was completed and the following year, with the authorisation of Archbishop Dom Sebastião Monteiro de Vide, the liturgical feast of Bonfim began to be celebrated on the second Sunday after Epiphany (the second Sunday in January). That same year, the tradition of washing the church began, when members of the Brotherhood forced slaves to wash the temple as part of the preparations for the feast of Senhor do Bonfim.

Over time, washing was banned inside the temple and moved to the steps and courtyard of the church.

The ritual “Lavagem do Bonfim” now involves a procession of women dressed as Bahian women who walk from the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Praia to the top of Bonfim in an eight kilometre festive parade, carrying scented water.

The feast of Our Lady of Guia began to be celebrated on the Monday after the end of the feast of Senhor do Bonfim in 1792.

The famous fitinhas do Senhor do Bonfim (ribbons of the Lord of Bonfim) were introduced in 1809. At that time they were called “medidas” (measures) because they were exactly 47 centimetres long, the length of the right arm of the statue of Senhor do Bonfim.

In 1862, the chapel’s lighting was replaced by carbon gas lamps, replacing the old lanterns.

In 1927, the chapel was raised to the status of a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI, and in 1975 the Museum of Votive Offerings was created, where devotees can leave objects as symbols of their faith. On 20 October 1991, Pope John Paul II visited the basilica and prayed at the feet of Senhor do Bonfim, presenting the devotees with a silver-gilt chalice.

The church has neoclassical architecture with a rococo façade, following the example of Portuguese churches from the 18th and 19th centuries. Its beautiful frescoes and tiles make Senhor do Bonfim an icon of the Bahian faith, attracting devotees, tourists and pilgrims from all over the world.

History of the Bonfim Festival

The Festa do Bonfim is a landmark event in the affirmation of Bahian culture.

According to Iphan, the Festa do Bonfim has been celebrated without interruption since 1745, uniting Catholicism with the Afro-Brazilian tradition. Historians point out that the celebrations began in the Middle Ages, based on the devotion to Senhor Bom Jesus, the Crucified Christ.

The celebration is part of the liturgical calendar and the street festivals of the Bahian capital, which combine secular and cultural activities. It begins the day after the Epiphany and ends on the second Sunday after the Epiphany, the Day of Senhor do Bonfim.

The procession, which begins at the Conceição da Praia church in Comércio, ends at the Senhor do Bonfim church itself, where the steps of the Sacred Hill are washed. The basilica was built in the 18th century and has been listed by Iphan since 1938, registered in the Book of Fine Arts.

Photos of the interior of the Church of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim

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