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The Catedral Basílica de Salvador is one of the most important sacred buildings from Colonial Brazil. A testament to the history and Catholicism in the country, the temple also houses a collection of great value, including paintings by various 17th-century authors, jacaranda wood furniture, and several sacred objects made of gold and silver.
The Catedral Basílica de Salvador is a jewel nestled in the heart of the Pelourinho and is a symbol of sacred art and religious architecture in Brazil.
The Catedral Basílica de Salvador is considered one of the most important churches in Bahia. A 17th-century monument, it was the fourth temple built by the Jesuits in the capital of Bahia, between 1652 and 1672, and it is the last remaining structure of the Colégio de Jesus architectural complex.
The Catedral Basílica de Salvador was an architectural project by Brother Francisco Dias and features 13 altars, the first two of which were built in the Renaissance Mannerist style.
The church’s façade is entirely made of lioz stone, imported from Portugal, and the niches above the doors represent St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Francis Xavier, and St. Francis Borgia.
With the Jesuits’ expulsion from the country, the church was abandoned and was later used as a military hospital and home to Brazil’s first School of Medicine, established there in 1833.
In 1938, the church was individually listed as a heritage site by Iphan, and the protection includes all its collections.
Video – History and Colonial Architecture of Catedral Basilica de Salvador
Catedral Basílica Primacial São Salvador
See also all the churches in Salvador de Bahia
Summary of the History of the Catedral Basílica de Salvador
Located in the Terreiro de Jesus, the Catedral Basílica de Salvador was originally built by the Jesuits in the 17th century. It became the seat of the archdiocese in 1765, following the expulsion of the order in 1759.
Before its designation as a cathedral, the building belonged to the Colégio da Companhia de Jesus, which played an important role in educating and catechizing indigenous people in Brazil.
The current church, built following the guidelines of the Council of Trent, was the fourth construction on the site, standing out for its grandeur and artistic richness.
The construction of the Catedral Basílica de Salvador spanned from 1657 to 1672, with finishing details like the façade and towers completed in 1694.
The church’s façade, representing a transition from Renaissance to Baroque styles, is adorned with sculptures of Jesuit saints. Internally, the cathedral follows a single-nave design with several side chapels, altars of varying styles, and rich decorations of gilded woodwork and lioz marble.
A notable feature of the cathedral is the altar-mor, built between 1665 and 1670, and the side chapels dedicated to Santo Inácio de Loyola and São Francisco Xavier. The cathedral also houses many historical relics and works of art, including paintings by the Jesuit Domingos Rodrigues and Baroque sculptures.
The sober sacristy is home to an impressive arcaz de jacarandá (jacaranda wood chest) and Renaissance paintings.
Additionally, the cathedral maintains a valuable collection of Portuguese tiles and ceiling paintings, some attributed to renowned Jesuit artists.
As one of the most significant examples of religious architecture from Colonial Brazil, the cathedral holds immense historical and cultural value.
1. ALTAR-MOR
The altar-mor dates back to 1665–1670, executed by Brother João Correia and his assistants.
It features rich gilded woodwork of great artistic and historical importance and is one of the few Mannerist altars in Brazil.
In 1670, a chamber was opened at the top to display the Blessed Sacrament, decorated with panels depicting Santo Inácio and São Francisco Xavier, painted by Brother Domingos Rodrigues, who also painted other panels in the same chapel.
2. CEILING OF THE NAVE
The ceiling of the nave features rich decoration in carved wood with Jesuit symbols, centered around a large radiant medallion displaying the monogram IHS (Iesus Hominum Salvator – Jesus Savior of Mankind), the emblem of the Society of Jesus.
3. LATERAL ALTARS
The chapel on the right side of the main altar, currently dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, has been altered by successive renovations. The background has been lost, although it still preserves rich woodwork on the sides and two large statues:
The two chapels in the transept, on the other hand, comparable in size to the main chapel, feature monumental Baroque altars installed in 1754, dedicated to St. Francis Xavier and St. Ignatius. Additionally, they are adorned with paintings framed in gilded wood that cover the walls and ceiling.
The secondary chapels in the nave originally housed valuable works of art, but many were lost due to renovations over time, and others were transferred to different locations, such as the sacristy and the Sacred Art Museum.
Among the relics that survived are a silver-plated bust-reliquary of Saint Ignatius, the image of Our Lady of Wonders, also silver-plated, and busts of Saint Ursula and ten other women representing the Eleven Thousand Virgins.
4. RELIC BUSTS
Dois altares possuem espaços, cada um com quinze bustos relicários, agora de volta à Catedral após terem ficado no museu de Arte Sacra da Bahia por 15 anos.
Os bustos representam mártires em peças de terracota do século XVII e podem ser protegidos por duas portas.
5. THE SACRISTY
In the baptistery, there is a large baptismal font sculpted from a single block of lioz stone.
The spacious sacristy also houses treasures, including three Baroque altars made of multicolored marble from Italy, which display large statues and paintings; a large cabinet carved in jacaranda by Luís Manuel de Matosinhos and Cristóvão de Aguiar, with inlays of ivory and tortoiseshell; and paintings by the Dutch-Italian artist Gherardo delle Notti. Additionally, there is a stone lavabo.
On the wall above the armoire, there is a series of large paintings depicting scenes from the Old Testament, and the ceiling is adorned with painted coffered panels, showing Jesuit martyrs and apostles along with floral motifs in a Mannerist style.
The walls are covered up to half-height with painted tiles.
6. DETAILS OF THE ALTARS AND THE INTERIOR OF THE CATHEDRAL
CATEDRAL BASILICA DE SALVADOR
1. HISTORY
After the expulsion of the Jesuits, the church of the former College of the Company of Jesus became the Cathedral Basilica of Salvador (1), replacing the old Sé, which was threatened with collapse (2).
(2) The old Sé was demolished in 1933 to make way for tram tracks, which were to turn at what is now Praça da Sé. A block of buildings was also demolished for progress.
The open space came to be known as Praça da Sé, which, according to professor and architect Isaías Carvalho de Santos Neto, “it was, when it no longer was.”
Tradition says that the first Jesuits, who arrived with Governor-General Tomé de Souza in 1549, established themselves in a small chapel, Nossa Senhora da Ajuda, built by them within the fortified city walls.
They did not stay long at the site, as they received a donation of land outside the walls. On this land, which they leveled, they erected a small chapel called Terreiro de Jesus.
They began to attract indigenous people to the site, whom they intended to teach a trade, as well as reading, writing, and arithmetic. This civilizing task was entrusted to Brother Vicente Rodrigues, who, with his companions, undertook the teaching, preaching, and catechesis of the Indians.
Thus, in 1550, the Colégio dos Meninos was established, which was elevated to the status of Colégio Canônico in 1556. Father Manuel da Nóbrega observed the importance of this site outside the city walls for the urban development of Salvador: “and therefore it seems better to us a piece of land just beyond the fence, where the city is to be extended, so that in a few years we may be in the middle.”
The Jesuit’s foresight was quickly realized. According to Simão de Vasconcelos, the Jesuit College was founded in 1564, having received a donation from D. Sebastião through the Royal Provision of November 7 of that year. The income obtained could sustain around 60 religious.
The current church was the fourth construction. Built according to the norms of the Council of Trent, it features larger proportions compared to other religious buildings. From the laying of the foundation stone in 1657 to the completion of its architectural structure in 1672, 15 years passed.
The frontispiece was almost finished by 1679, and the two towers were added in 1694. In 1746, the church’s facade was adorned with statues of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, St. Francis Xavier, a martyr from the East, and St. Francis Borgia, the third general of the order.
This facade, despite some baroque indications, such as the volutes between the towers and the attic, the open pediments of the windows, and the central niche, still shows characteristics of the transition from Renaissance to baroque style.
In the late 18th century, Provincial Father Alexandre de Gusmão wrote to the general of his order:
“[…] The great and famous church, built 22 years ago, part with collected alms, part with money, covered with a strong roof, but still bare, needs a painted ceiling, with artisans and frames.
The walls are covered with Italian marble (3). The towers and the top of the frontispiece are also of marble, with three doors to the Terreiro, which is the largest in the city, suitable for military exercises and public spectacles.
Italian marble is, in fact, Portuguese lioz, although Provincial Francisco de Matos, also in 1701, said that the church was “covered with marble, inside and out.” The marble is in the sacristy.[/box]
There are already 7 completed chapels, gilded and adorned; the ornamentation of one has just been finished, while the rest are waiting for their altars and ornaments.”
It should be noted that the church’s interior and exterior cladding is in lioz stone. All pieces were brought carved from Portugal as ship ballast, expressly destined for the Jesuit church, as would later occur with the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Praia. They were ordered in Lisbon by Father Antônio Vaz. There is no news about the draftsman. The visiting father, Cristóvão de Gouveia, however, claimed to have interfered in the plan and recorded that Brother Francisco Dias had been the architect.
COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTION
1. Nave
Internally, according to Tridentine norms, the church has a single nave, with a deep chancel, two side chapels, two chapels in the transept, and lateral chapels.
The altars in these chapels do not have stylistic uniformity, as they were made at different times, depending on the sponsorships. Each one, in particular, underwent restorative or modifying interventions at different times.
The exact dates of their execution cannot be specified, except in general terms: they date from the late 17th and 18th centuries, considering that they were made or adapted after the completion of the architectural structure. The only altars that present stylistic and ornamental uniformity are those of Santa Úrsula, São Francisco Xavier, and Santo Inácio de Loyola.
The main altar was constructed between 1665 and 1670, executed by Brother João Correia, assisted by other brothers from the College, according to information from Serafim Leite. Its decoration consists of gilded woodwork, supported by Doric columns, which exhibit characteristics of the transition from Renaissance to Baroque styles. It features less voluminous, symmetrical woodwork with little play of light and shadow, typical of the latter style. This altar includes a painting of Our Lady placed at the base of the throne of the Most Holy Sacrament.
The upper sacristy was only opened in 1670. This space, intended for the exhibition of the Most Holy Sacrament, is closed by two doors adorned with images of St. Ignatius and St. Francis Xavier. According to Afonso Ruy, these panels were painted by Brother Domingos Rodrigues. According to a 19th-century visitor, these paintings and the artworks in the sacristy were the only notable works existing in Bahia at that time.
Since the sacristy was installed after the main altar was constructed, its rear part extends into the area of the old library on the upper floor.
Following the recommendations of the Tridentine Council, the construction and decoration of the Jesuit church involved the participation of the local population.
Captain Francisco Gil de Araújo (4) sponsored the main chapel and, in return, secured the right to have his body buried within the church. The entire church was sponsored by various members of this captain’s family.
There is no news about this captain in the city of Salvador, but there is information about a Captain Francisco Gil de Araújo who was the landowner of the Captaincy of Espírito Santo and died before 1697, at which time his widow filed a lawsuit against the Jesuits.
It is difficult to attribute the works to specific authors, as was customary at the time, the work was done in groups and the master who directed the works did not sign them, leaving most of them anonymous.
According to information from the Jesuit Serafim Leite, the sculptor Brother João Correia was prominent in this craft, as were the brothers Luís Manuel Trigueiros and Domingos Trigueiros, the latter being from Bahia.
The painter and gilder Domingos Rodrigues and the painter Eusébio de Mattos were other artists who played significant roles in the work within this temple. However, it is not possible to specifically attribute any work to them.
The set of paintings in the chancel was executed between 1665 and 1670. Their authorship is attributed by Serafim Leite to the Jesuit painter Domingos Rodrigues.
In a style that tends toward mannerism, it represents in 18 paintings, nine on each side of the presbytery wall, the life of Jesus, from the Annunciation to the Resurrection of Lazarus. After a recent restoration, some paintings were moved to different locations, as noted by Sobral.
On the left side of the high altar, enclosed by bars, is the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, present in many post-Tridentine churches, especially Jesuit ones, adhering to the dictates of that council and the devotional hierarchy established therein, with the Holy Trinity occupying the first place.
This chapel received a significant portion of items from the old Sé, replacing the Jesuit sacred vessels that were confiscated during the expulsion of the religious in 1759. In the same chapel, which features “a tabernacle entirely of silver and gold, with large diamonds of the finest quality,” a gift from the ladies of Bahia, are the three silver sacred vessels with intricate work by 17th-century silversmiths and the two credences, all pieces from the demolished Sé church (5).
(5) The right-side collateral altar, corresponding to the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, has been completely altered by successive interventions. It is now dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, lacking significant artistic expression.In the transept, there are two still little-studied examples of Baroque art: on the Epistle side, the altar dedicated to Saint Francis Xavier (6); on the opposite side, the altar of Saint Ignatius of Loyola.
In 1719, a golden sun was placed in the right hand of Saint Francis Xavier, a gift from João de Souza Câmara. In 1722, when blessed and installed, the statue of Saint Ignatius was adorned with a golden diadem, a gift from the faithful and the Jesuits themselves.
The altars were assembled in 1754 and were created by anonymous artists. Both should be viewed as a cohesive ensemble, as each part complements the other, giving them a sense of monumentality. Saint Ignatius was the founder of the Society of Jesus. Saint Francis Xavier is the patron saint of the city of Salvador, as the City Council turned to him during a major epidemic—the “mal da bicha,” or yellow fever—asking for his intercession with God to end it.
Although the appeal did not achieve much success, Saint Francis Xavier was nonetheless proclaimed the patron saint of the city in 1686 (7).
Also of Spanish influence is the image of Our Lady of Miracles, covered in engraved silver (8).
It should be noted that the image was then located in the old Sé, not in the current cathedral.
Introduced into the Cathedral in the 17th century and still part of its collection, it is now displayed at the Museum of Sacred Art.
Dating from the period of the Iberian Union—1580 to 1640—these images feature 17th-century characteristics, such as a wooden interior and an exterior covered with beaten silver, sometimes chiselled and engraved.
The last altar on the right side is dedicated to the Eleven Thousand Virgins, revered by the Jesuits in Brazil since 1590. The altar, renovated in the 18th century, features busts of ten women, plus a full-length statue of Ursula.
Originally, there were representations of just one and later two more virgins in the 16th-17th centuries, and they were soon chosen as the first patronesses of Brazil, a fact not widely known among Brazilians.
Only the Society of Jesus was authorized by the First Constitutions to hold an annual procession in their honor.
The two first altars on the left side housed, in movable cabinets with Renaissance structure, relics of various martyr saints, in terracotta or wood, with silver enclosures protecting the relics.
They date from 1581 but were readapted to the altars of the third church between 1657 and 1672. These images, properly restored at the Museum of Sacred Art, could not be returned to their places in the Cathedral because the altar structures, damaged, could not support their weight.
They remain under the museum’s care to this day. It is presumed that these altars, like their predecessors, originated from the previous church and were adapted to the current church, with additions made to reach the height of the new construction.
The high altar continued to undergo alterations.
In a 1746 report, the Jesuit provincial reported on “the new image of admirable art, of the Savior, which made the titular of our church more conspicuous, now occupying a niche above the crossing arch.”
This image, in carved and polychrome wood, is identified with the Jesuit symbol, representing Christ as the Savior of the world, holding a globe and a cross.
This same symbol is represented differently on the ceiling, with the IHS (Iesus Hominum Salvator) monogram in golden letters at the center of the huge sun that crowns the paneled ceiling.
Started in 1696, the ceiling was only completed in 1700 when the moldings were finished. Among the figures framed in the four corners are the Lion, the Bull, the Eagle, and the Man, symbolizing the four evangelists, respectively, Saint Mark, Saint Luke, Saint John, and Saint Matthew.
According to Serafim Leite, the framing of the ceiling was done by Brother Luís Manuel. Native of Matozinhos, Portugal, he was qualified as a carver and naval builder, which may explain the elaborate carved composition covering the ceiling.
In the latest intervention, completed in 1998, technicians from the Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage of Bahia (Ipac) discovered that the original color of the ceiling was more cream-colored rather than white, as it had been painted until then.
This white paint covered flags related to Jesuit iconography, which are now visible.
Near the entrance door on the left side is the baptistery, notable for its font, crafted from a single block of lioz stone and used since ancient times in the city’s first parish for immersion baptisms, as was customary then.
Sacristy – Compared to other sacristies, the one in the Cathedral Basilica is grand in size and extremely sober in decoration.
It has three altars of multicolored Italian marble with Renaissance influence, despite the broken baroque pediments. Baroque images of the 18th century, of large size, are observed on the altars, contrasting with the sobriety of the marbles, especially the one of Nossa Senhora da Fé, right at the entrance.
On the opposite side, another altar houses the traditional Baroque Crucified Christ, which possibly was in the high altar of the church in the 18th century. On the side of the windows is a lavabo that matches the Renaissance-style altars, made from the same stones. It bears the Jesuit “mark”: IHS.
A large cabinet of jacaranda, divided into two parts, occupies the entire wall separating the sacristy from the church. The piece is adorned with inlays made from turtle shell and ivory, worn by time.
The entire set is believed to date from 1701. With a high backrest, it includes fourteen painted copper plates. These small paintings, originally thought to be of Flemish origin, were created by the painter Gerardo Della Notte in Rome, according to Father Alexandre de Gusmão. They were covered with glass for preservation. In a Renaissance style, they depict scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary.
This monumental piece of carpentry was crafted in the company’s workshop in 1683 (10), under the mastership of Brother Luís Manuel de Matosinhos. Among the carvers and carpenters who worked on it was Cristóvão de Aguiar from Rio de Janeiro, who was considered “distinguished in his art” by the then rector of the college.
Between the back of the cabinet and the ceiling, there is a row of large paintings with mannerist characteristics, depicting scenes from the Old Testament. The back and paintings contrast with the tiles covering the walls, interrupted by a golden frame that completes the painted section and merges with the ceiling. They are complemented by the tiles at the lower part of the walls.
Dividing the cabinet into two halves is an altar with stylized composite columns, a broken pediment, and multicolored marquetry work, which houses a large-scale painting dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Conceição.
Given its style, composition, and attributes, it is believed to have Italian origins, as some authors indicate, though the author remains unknown.
The ceiling of the sacristy is composed of decorated panels with 21 tempera-painted figures, created between 1673 and 1683. They are arranged along the longitudinal line of the hall in three rows.
An anonymous work, it centrally features a depiction of Santo Inácio de Loyola. It also includes the martyrs of Brazil, the martyrs of Japan, and the early Jesuit apostles, identified by inscriptions.
They even extended his authorship to the frescoes in Convento de Santa Teresa and to the paintings in Carmo de Cachoeira.
Library
The former library of the college is located above the sacristy. The staircase leading to it is adorned with Portuguese tiles, featuring an inviting figure typical of 18th-century Portuguese production. Allegorical figures, all of Portuguese craftsmanship, can also be observed.
What stands out most in the library is the ceiling painting. This is a quadratura painting, a characteristic of Baroque composition, done in perspective to create an architectural and celestial scene.
At the center, the Allegory of Wisdom hovers over Time and Fortune, attributed by Luís de Moura Sobral to Antônio Simões Ribeiro. Today, this space houses the Museum of the Cathedral.
