Igreja e Convento de São Francisco

Also known as the Gold Church, the Igreja São Francisco (Cruzeiro de São Francisco, tel. 71/3322-6430, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon.–Sat.) is drenched in gold leaf, hundreds of kilos of it. The many wood sculptures on the altars—representing cherubs, angels, saints, flora, and fauna—are all draped in gold and surrounded with detailed ornamentation in gold and white. The simple gold-and-white motif is offset by the dark jacaranda wood used in the hand railings and altar pews and a few simple blue Portuguese tiles above the altars. The ceiling and entrance are covered in baroque paintings. Considered the richest church in Brazil, São Francisco was finished in 1723, its rather humble outer facade hiding the incredible riches within. The adjoining convent has an entrance hallway covered in blue Portuguese tiles from the 1500s, and the theme continues to the outer patio area.