São Francisco Church and Convent of Salvador, Salvador (must see)

São Francisco Church and Convent of Salvador is a church of the Third Order of Saint Francis in the historical center of Salvador.

The friars of the Franciscan Order constructed a convent and church after they arrived in Salvador in 1587. The religious buildings were destroyed during the Dutch invasions of Bahia in the 17th century. The current church was built on the ruins of the original structure. New construction began in 1708 and finished in 1723.

The interior of the church, completed in 1755, includes ornate gilded woodwork that covers the surfaces of the nave. The nave aisles were patterned after the Sao Francisco Church of Oporto and the Sao Roque in Lisbon.

The church has the distinction of featuring 55,000 glazed colored azulejos, the largest number of traditional Portuguese tiles in any church in Latin America. The tiles adorn the lower parts of the wall in the main chapel, and they entirely cover the cloister. The artist is unknown, but the artwork of the tiles is attributed to Bartolomeu Antunes de Jesus.

A large stone cross, common to Franciscan churches in Brazil, sits in front of the cathedral. It is 26 feet tall and has a base of 18 feet. The cross was imported from Lisbon in 1807.

The São Francisco Church and Convent of Salvador are important Colonial monuments in Brazil. The church and convent were listed as historic structures by the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage in 1938. They are also considered one of the Seven Wonders of Portuguese Origin in the World.

The São Francisco Church and Convent are open to the public. Visitors may enter the church for tours or worship.