Igreja do Divino Espírito Santo

The Igreja do Divino Espírito Santo is a colonial church in Santo Antonio district built as a single rectangular space with lateral corridors and upper galleries running along both sides. Inside, five altars dating to the 19th century create focal points throughout the interior.

This building was constructed between 1686 and 1690 on land previously occupied by a French Calvinist church and initially housed a Jesuit school. The Jesuits were expelled in 1759, marking a significant change in the building's purpose.

The church displays 18th-century tiles with religious scenes that show how Portuguese craftspeople expressed their faith through visual storytelling on walls. These decorative panels reveal how people once connected daily life with spiritual meaning through their surroundings.

The church sits near Praça Dezessete and is straightforward to locate and approach from the street. You can visit during regular prayer times, as the Franciscan community has maintained the space for many generations.

The original entrance with five arches was removed in 1823 to make room for expanding the adjacent school building next door. Archaeological digging in 1977 uncovered evidence of this demolished section beneath the current ground level.