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Azulejos
The church has more azulejos than any other in Latin America
The Franciscan church and convent have the largest number of azulejos, 55,000, of any church in Latin America. Blue-white panels imported from Lisbon depict scenes of the life of St Francis of Assisi.
55,000azulejos, the most of any church in Latin America
The friars
The friars arrived in 1587 and their first convent was lost
The Franciscans arrived in Salvador in 1587. Their first convent and church were destroyed during the Dutch invasions. Work on the present church began in 1708 and was completed in 1723.
Gilded wood
Every inner surface is covered in gilded woodwork and paintings
The decoration was mostly executed in the first half of the 18th century. Altarpieces have Solomonic columns with golden foliage, angels and birds, and eight massive Atlanteans support the lateral altars.
The cross
A large marble cross dated 1807 stands in the square
A large cross in lioz marble, imported from Lisbon, stands in the square in front of the church. It is 8 metres tall and dated 1807. The square is named for the cross.
February 2025
In February 2025 the church ceiling collapsed and one person died
On February 5, 2025, the church ceiling collapsed. One person died and five others were injured.
Day 1, afternoon
It comes after Salvador Cathedral.
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The words are a retelling of the Wikipedia article Church and Convent of São Francisco, Salvador, and are shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. They are checked against those articles, and a fact that is not in them is left out.