Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Barroquinha, Former Catholic church and cultural center in Historic Center of Salvador, Brazil
Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Barroquinha is a former church in Salvador's Historic Center featuring two pyramidal towers decorated with tiles and an interior divided into a central nave with lateral corridors across two floors. The spaces now function as exhibition galleries, performance venues, and event halls for cultural activities.
Manuel Ribeiro Leitão donated the land in 1722 for the chapel of the Confraria de Nossa Senhora da Barroquinha, completed the following year. From 1764 it housed the Irmandade do Senhor Bom Jesus dos Martírios, formed by enslaved people, and later the Irmandade de Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte. A fire in 1984 destroyed the interior and caused the church to collapse, leaving only the facade, some walls and the bell of the right tower. The Fundação Gregório de Mattos created the Espaço Cultural Barroquinha in 1991, and a 2014 renovation adapted the space for small and medium-scale performances and exhibitions.
The name comes from the "barroca" lowland where the church was built. From 1764 it housed the Irmandade do Senhor Bom Jesus dos Martírios, made up of enslaved people, and also the Irmandade de Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte; this meeting of white and black brotherhoods fed Bahian religious syncretism of Nagô-Yoruba roots. Since 2014 the hall seats 135 spectators for small and medium shows and exhibitions.
The building stands in the Barroquinha lowland of Salvador's Historic Center, set back from the belvedere that was moved in 1878, so the facade now faces an open forecourt. After the 1984 fire only the facade, some walls and the right tower's bell survived; the 2014 renovation fitted the hall for small and medium shows and exhibitions seating 135 spectators.
The first Ketu candomblé terreiro in Bahia stood beside the church in the early 19th century, linked to the Irmandade de Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte, a black brotherhood also housed here. The church's name comes from the "barroca" lowland where it was built.
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