Convento de São Francisco

To get the full effect of this architectural masterpiece (Rua São Francisco 280, tel. 81/3429-0517, 8 a.m.–noon and 2–5 p.m. Mon.–Fri. and 8 a.m.–noon Sat.), one should approach it from above, from the Travessa de São Francisco, and not from below via Rua de São Francisco. This way, you see the convent set perfectly against the blue ocean and framed with palm trees. The first Franciscan convent in Brazil, São Francisco was constructed in 1585 and almost completely destroyed by the Dutch in 1631. It was rebuilt in the last half of the 1600s. It consists of two small chapels and the Igreja Nossa Sra. das Neves. Although most impressive from the outside, the inside is covered in blue Portuguese tiles and has a richly painted ceiling, depicting the holy family. Paints were made of bull’s blood, egg yolk, and whale oil. Mass is at 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Sundays, 5 p.m. on Saturdays.