São Francisco Church and Convent, Baroque Catholic church in Salvador, Brazil
The São Francisco Church and Convent stands in the historic center of Salvador and displays three doorways flanked by paired bell towers built from local sandstone. Inside, the space divides into three aisles lined with side chapels, a gilded chancel, and a sacristy adorned with painted ceilings.
Franciscans began building the complex in 1708 after their earlier site was destroyed during the Dutch invasion. The main structure was completed by 1723, though decoration and convent work continued for decades afterward.
The convent's cloister walls carry azulejo panels donated by King João V, some painted by Bartolomeu de Jesus around the mid-18th century. Their scenes and moralising inscriptions come from the book Teatro Moral da Vida Humana, illustrated with prints by Otto van Veen, Rubens's teacher. The church holds 55,000 azulejos, the largest such collection in Latin America.
The church opens regularly for visitors who want to see the gilded carvings, tile panels, and side chapels throughout the nave. The main entrance leads directly into the interior, where you can explore several levels and rooms at your own pace.
The convent entrance ceiling painting is attributed to José Joaquim da Rocha and shows a university disputation on the Virgin Mary's exemption from original sin, with saints, prelates and allegorical figures of the four continents. The convent still houses dozens of friars' cells around a square cloister.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,871 contributors worldwide.
