Church of Saint Peter of the Clergymen, Salvador

The Church of Saint Peter of the Clergymen (Portuguese: Igreja de São Pedro dos Clérigos) is an 18th-century Roman Catholic church in Salvador. It was constructed by the Brotherhood of Saint Peter in approximately 1709 and was renovated in the 18th and 19th centuries. The church was listed as a historic structure by National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN) in 1938 and is part of the Historic Center of Salvador UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Church of Saint Peter of the Clergymen was built in the tradition of Bahian churches of the 18th century, with a single nave and lateral corridors surmounted by tribunes. It lacks the transverse sacristy of other churches of the period. The exterior is of stone masonry and brick and opens directly onto the Terreiro de Jesus. A small church yard is of stone and is enclosed by an iron fence. A planned right-hand bell tower was never constructed. The decor of the interior of the church represents the transition between the both Rococo and Neoclassical styles in Bahia.

The high altar follows the design of the Italian Jesuit artist Andrea Pozzo (1642-1709). It is complemented by two altars at the corner of the chancel arch. An image of Our Lady of the Conception is at center of the high altar. A life-size statue of Saint Peter in full papal costume is placed to the right of the high altar; and image of Saint Paul is to the left. The church also has images of Santa Luzia, Saint Amaro, Saint Eligius, and Our Lady of the Gate of Heaven. The high altar and two side altars are in the Neoclassical style, with no trace of the baroque.

The painting on the ceiling of the nave depicts the Confession of Peter from the Book of Matthew. The painting is attributed to José Rodrigues Nunes (1800-1881), the only named artist to work in the church; no written record of his on the nave ceiling painting exists, other than by oral tradition. The nave ceiling has triangular vaults with elaborate gilt tracings above each opening to the tribune; each vault has an oval painting of an early benefactor of the church within.

The Church of Saint Peter of the Clergymen was listed as a historic structure by the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage in 1941. It was listed in the Book of Historical Works, Inscription 168 and 254-A; and the Book of Fine Arts, Inscription fls 54. Both directives are dated September 9, 1941.

The Church of Saint Peter of the Clergymen is open to the public and may be visited. The feast days of Saints Peter and Paul are on June 29 and 30, and are likely the important celebration days of the church.