Solar do Unhão e Capela de Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Colonial manor and chapel in Salvador, Brazil
The Solar do Unhão and its chapel form a sprawling complex of a three-story stone mansion, a small church, aqueducts, and fountains opening directly onto All Saints Bay. The property also includes support buildings and a private pier that extends into the water.
The complex was built in the 17th century as a sugar mill and residence for a wealthy plantation owner. Over the 20th century, the property passed through several uses as a tobacco factory and briefly as a military facility before eventually being converted for cultural purposes.
The name comes from the river that once supplied the estate, and the chapel honors the Virgin Mary. Today contemporary artworks fill the restored rooms, showing how the site connects its colonial past with modern creative practice.
The site hosts regular art exhibitions, film screenings, and creative workshops throughout the year. An outdoor sculpture park invites visitors to wander the grounds and enjoy views of the bay while seeing contemporary works in open spaces.
An ornate spiral staircase with Portuguese decorative tiles winds through the main building's floors, opening to rooms with panoramic views of the bay. This staircase showcases colonial-era craftsmanship and is a subtle detail many visitors miss when moving through the spaces.
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