Discover the Sanctuary of Monte Santo in Bahia, a place of religious pilgrimage and tourism for centuries, set in the breathtaking landscape of the Serra do Piquaraçá.
The architectural complex of the city of Monte Santo in Bahia is of great scenic and symbolic beauty, combining natural and cultural heritage, and is one of the greatest landmarks of religious movements in the Northeast – one of Brazil’s “montes sacros” (sacred mountains, a place of devotion located on top of a mountain).
The Sanctuary of Monte Santo has been a place of pilgrimage and religious tourism for centuries.
The city of Monte Santo is located at the foot of the Serra do Piquaraçá (also known as the Serra da Santa Cruz), at the foot of the Monte Santo, in the middle of the sandy plain that gently descends to the Itapicuru River Valley.
The architectural, urban, natural and landscape ensemble of Monte Santo was declared a Historic and Cultural Monument in 1983.
Video – Places of interest in Monte Santo BA
Vista aérea de Monte Santo BA
Monte Santo in Bahia
- Historical site
- Sights and monuments
- History of the city
1. Historical site
The Historical Site of Monte Santo, located in Bahia, is one of the greatest landmarks of the Northeastern Religious Movements and the second recognised Holy Mountain in Brazil.
The Monte Santo architectural complex includes the chapels of Nossa Senhora das Dores (built in the 18th century) and Senhor dos Passos (built in the 20th century), as well as the collection of ex-votos offered by pilgrims over nearly 200 years.
The Sanctuary of Mount Santo is directly inspired by the Italian tradition of trying to recreate a Sacred Mountain – Mount Calvary.
The Sanctuary of Monte Santo precedes the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matozinhos in Congonhas do Campo, MG.
Congonhas MG was only transformed into a Holy Monument between 1802 and 1818, when the Six Steps were built and the groups of the Passion of Christ were placed, executed by Antônio Francisco Lisboa, the Aleijadinho, from 1795 to 1799.
The listing also includes the streets of the city centre with buildings along their entire length.
This group of streets in the city of Monte Santo is close to the mountains, where the Street of the Cross begins.
Rua Senhor dos Passos is home to the Hospedaria dos Romeiros (Pilgrims’ Hostel), the first house to receive pilgrims who came to the Monte Santo to obtain graces or pay off promises.
The protected area includes the entire Serra do Piquaraçá and the area around the main road, Rua Senhor dos Passos, where the Way of the Cross begins during the Easter Week.
This is the main base of the Listed Complex, formed by a path that follows the winding lines of the mountainside from the town to the top, where the church is located. It is characterised as a very specific space dedicated exclusively to religious activities.
The other districts around the mountain, which make up the Historic Site, have a harmonious architectural identity and are made up of simple, mostly single-storey houses.
At the top of the mountain is the Sanctuary of the Holy Cross of Monte Santo, built 1,969 metres from the first chapel, at the start of the steep path along which traditional pilgrimages are made. Along the way there are 25 chapels with the Steps of the Passion and the life of Mary.
Historical records indicate that Antônio Vicente Mendes Maciel (Antônio Conselheiro) – the religious leader and creator of Canudos – was in Monte Santo around 1892, where he carried out repairs and improvements to the Stations of the Cross, accompanied by thousands of followers.
Five years later, Monte Santo became the main military base for the bloody Canudos War. These episodes served to consolidate the occupation of Monte Santo and increase its mystery and fame.
The municipality is also known as the place where the Bendegó meteorite, weighing about 6,000 kilos and considered one of the largest in the world, was found in 1784. In 1887 the meteorite was transported to the National Museum in Rio de Janeiro, where it is still kept today.
2. Attractions and monuments
- Monte Santo Way of the Cross
- Chapel of Santa Cruz
- Monte Santo Museum (former residence, built at the beginning of the 20th century)
- Senhor dos Passos, Frei Apolônio Toddi, Coronel José Cordeiro, Barão de Jeremoabo and Flores streets.
- Monte Santo Sanctuary
The Monte Santo Sanctuary is made up of stairs and ramps between dry stone walls.
The path to the Sanctuary of Monte Santo is 2 km long and 320 metres steep, along which 25 stone-built chapels can be seen.
Of the 25 chapels, 21 are small steps, two medium-sized and two large, which mark the beginning and end of the pilgrimage: the Matriz do Santíssimo Coração de Jesus, in the town, and the Capela de Santa Cruz, at the top of the mountain and preceded by a cross.
The first three are dedicated to the Souls, the Lord of the Stairs and St Joseph respectively. The next three are dedicated to the sufferings of the Virgin.
The last of these, Our Lady of Sorrows, stands in the middle of the road, forcing the pilgrim to cross its nave. This chapel serves as a gateway to the Fourteen Stations of the Passion, which, unlike the previous ones, are located on the left-hand side of the climb.
Originating in Italy during the Renaissance, the Sacred Mounts had their greatest development during the Baroque period.
In Portugal, these landscape ensembles, which attempted to recreate Calvary, spread to the north of the country during the 17th and 18th centuries.
The Bahia’s sacro-monte is the first manifestation of this type in Brazil and is directly inspired by the Italian tradition, including the name adopted.
3. History of the region
The region – inhabited by the Caimbé Indians – was part of the great Morgado da Casa da Torre, a vast estate founded by Garcia d’Ávila in the 16th century. Although Fazenda Cassucá was the first point to be surveyed, the settlement that became the modern town of Monte Santo was founded on the land of Fazenda Soledade, which was leased to João Dias de Andrade in 1750.
The land had belonged to Garcia d’Ávila’s Casa da Torre since the 17th century. At the foot of the Serra de Piquaraçá, the tenant built his house and a small chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Conception.
Monte Santo was originally known as Piquaraçá (Araçá Peak), a legendary place mentioned in the countless chronicles of the old bandeirantes and in their travel routes.
In the 17th century, it served as a landmark and landing place for adventurers travelling through the interior in search of precious metals.
The origin of the Sanctuary of Santa Cruz do Monte Santo is attributed to Apolônio de Toddi, a Capuchin missionary who travelled through the region and, in 1785, considered the top of the mountain that dominates the landscape to be similar to the Calvary of Jerusalem.
It is said that the monk carried out his religious work at the foot of the mountain and, on All Saints Day, organised a procession to its summit, placing wooden crosses along the way.
During the procession there was a storm with very strong winds, which were calmed by the prayers of the Capuchins.
He left the next day, but the locals attributed miracles to the place, which led to the name being changed from Serra do Piquaraçá to Monte Santo.
Along the 1,969 metres of the Via Sacra, the primitive wooden crosses gave way to 25 chapels housing images of great popular devotion at the top of the sanctuary. The work was completed in 1791.
From then on, Monte Santo became a place of pilgrimage, attracting the faithful from all over the hinterland, especially during the feasts of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Whit Thursday, when there is a large procession to the top of the hill.
To support this activity, a small trade developed which attracted other more permanent economic activities – cattle raising, agriculture and leather, fibre and ceramic handicrafts.
The parish was founded in 1790 under the name of Santíssimo Coração de Jesus e Nossa Senhora da Conceição de Monte Santo, which was changed to Vila do Coração de Jesus de Monte Santo in 1837. In 1929 the town was elevated to the category of city, with the name of Monte Santo.
A century after Friar Apolônio de Toddi created the sacred hill, a famous figure, Antônio Vicente Mendes Maciel (Antônio Conselheiro) from Ceará, wandered the lands south of the Vaza Barris river and north of the Itapicuru river, preaching, building churches and cemeteries.
In 1893 Conselheiro founded the town of Belo Monte (Canudos) on land that was then part of Monte Santo, the scene of one of the most dramatic episodes in Brazilian history.
Although Conselheiro knew Monte Santo, it was not until around 1892 that he, accompanied by thousands of followers, carried out a series of repairs and improvements to the Crossroads of Monte Santo.
Tourist Attractions and History of Monte Santo in Bahia
