Church and Convent of San Francisco

The Church and Convent of São Francisco is defined by a heavy stone façade that conceals one of the most extravagant interiors in the Portuguese-speaking world. Located in the heart of Salvador’s historic center, the structure is famously known as the Golden Church. Franciscan friars first arrived on this site in fifteen eighty-seven, but the current buildings were constructed beginning in sixteen eighty-six after earlier structures were destroyed during the Dutch invasions of Bahia.