São Francisco do Conde is a Brazilian municipality located in the Salvador metropolitan region of Bahia.
Situated between islands, mangroves, the coast and the Atlantic Rainforest, São Francisco do Conde enchants with its natural exuberance.
Two embarkation points are the starting point for any nautical itinerary on the boat trips that reveal the region’s charms: the pier, on the city’s waterfront, and Santo Estevão, a fishing village 32 kilometres from the city centre.
Take the opportunity to visit the municipality’s islands – Cajaíba, Fontes, Pati – and go down to the mouth of the Sergi River or the Subaé River to enjoy the beautiful scenery created by nature.
The history of colonial Brazil is present in São Francisco do Conde, both in its architecture and in the habits of its people.
Folkloric performances revive old customs and keep the traditional regional culture alive.
The cuisine, especially the fish baked in banana leaves and the cornflour and tapioca porridge, preserves the typical preparations of the Tupinambás and the Caetés Negros, the first inhabitants of the region.
Parish of São Francisco do Conde
Discover the history of this place with a strong colonial influence and get to know its tourist and historical attractions.
In 1618, by order of the Count of Linhares, a convent and a church were built on a hill in the Recôncavo Baiano, where the town of São Francisco do Conde was later founded in 1698.
The name honours the town’s patron saint and Count Fernão Rodrigues, who inherited the land from the 3rd Governor-General of Brazil, Mem de Sá.
The region where the city is located was conquered by the Portuguese Empire in wars against the Indians who lived on the banks of the Paraguaçu and Jaguaribe rivers.
São Francisco do Conde, the third municipality of the Recôncavo Baiano, has a large Brazilian colonial heritage.
The town is rich in sobrados, churches and engenhos, built during the Portuguese administration. The impressive architecture is an invitation to take a trip back to the 16th century and relive an important part of Brazil’s history.
The city is located in an area that preserves Atlantic Forest Reserves and mangroves, which are essential for the region’s biodiversity.
In the past, the city’s wealth came from sugar cane plantations, which fuelled economic development.
Today, the region’s main economic activity is oil extraction, refining and processing.
São Francisco do Conde retains the atmosphere of a country town, with its baroque architecture, tranquillity and canoe port for fishermen.
The town is also developing and has a modern seafront that provides a charming visual contrast.
The ethnic diversity that has helped to build the city culturally is present in everyday life. The imperial palm trees, symbols of the Portuguese administration, and the majestic colonial buildings preserve the memory of the region.
The Tupinambás and Caetés Negros have left a rich gastronomic heritage, including corn porridge, tapioca and fish baked in banana leaves.
Fishing techniques and the skills of shellfish gatherers also emerged with the region’s first inhabitants. São Francisco do Conde has a rich history, intertwined with the history of Brazil.
The city manages to combine history, culture and the typical tranquillity of the Recôncavo Baiano in one place.
Find out more about the main tourist and historical attractions in the charming town of São Francisco do Conde.
See the map of Todos os Santos Bay
Videos about São Francisco do Conde in Bahia
História de São Francisco do Conde05:26
História de São Francisco do Conde na Bahia04:39
Guia de São Francisco do Conde na Bahia
Imagens aéreas e história de São Francisco do Conde BA,
Points of interest in São Francisco do Conde BA
- Town Hall and Prison (Town Hall Building)
- Convent of St Anthony
- São Bento das Lajes School
- Mother Church of São Gonçalo
- Church of Our Lady of the Mountain
- Island of Cajaíba
- São Miguel das Almas Mill
1. Town Hall and Prison (Town Hall Building)
The City Hall, located on the Independência Square in the lower part of São Francisco do Conde, is one of the city’s most important historical buildings and currently serves as the seat of the City Hall and the Council Chamber. The nearby Pier offers a panoramic view of Cajaíba Island and part of Todos os Santos Bay, highlighting the surrounding natural scenery.
Financed by the tithes of white gold collected throughout the Recôncavo Baiano, the Town Hall was built between 1693 and 1750. At the time, the Portuguese government wanted the building to be a monument symbolising the reconquest of the Northeast from the Dutch, as well as a symbol of Brazilian national unity.
Historically, the ground floor of the building had practical functions, being used as a jail and guard quarters, while the upper floor housed the Senate of the Chamber and the Intendencia, which managed the affairs of the city..
The building preserves important elements of its original construction, including the carpentry, the upholstery and the balcony railings of the main façade, which date from the 19th century. Despite some adaptations over time, the City Hall retains a harmonious combination of the colonial architecture of past centuries and touches of modernity, reflected in its painting, surroundings and current administration.
2. Monastery of St Anthony
The Convent of Santo Antônio, inaugurated in 1936, was built at the request of the inhabitants of the future Villa de São Francisco”, who wanted a Franciscan monastery in the city. This important monument, which includes the Church, the Convent and the Third Order, is located in the Square Arthur Sales, in the Historic Centre of São Francisco do Conde, and is recognised as a Listed Cultural Property by IPAC (Artistic and Cultural Heritage Institute of Bahia).
The site houses a valuable art collection made up of religious pieces, tiles, furniture and other historical objects. In front of the complex, imperial palm trees line the façade, preserving the memory and heritage of the Portuguese colonisation.
Behind the monument, a slope covered with tropical vegetation descends steeply towards the bay, creating an imposing natural setting. Over the years, various interventions and restorations have been carried out on the convent, restoring glass, fittings, paintings and roofs to ensure the preservation of this historic treasure.
According to art historians, one of the monastery’s greatest highlights is its cloister – a open arcade surrounding the courtyard, considered one of the most beautiful in Brazil. The monastery also has a library that houses unpublished documents that help to enrich the living history of São Francisco do Conde.
3. São Bento das Lajes School
Located in São Francisco do Conde, the monumental building impresses with its grandeur, marked by 366 windows, and its history, originally serving as a resting place for Benedictine monks.
Although it is currently in ruins, the restoration of the Agricultural School is one of the main aspirations of the local population, as the building has great historical and architectural value. The site overlooks a vast area of mangrove swamp and the building is situated on a hill above the Subaé River, offering impressive views of the natural landscape.
In its heyday, the school housed a library, a natural history museum, science cabinets and laboratories, making it an important centre of knowledge and research. In front of the building, there are still traces of the old Pier and some of the buildings that form part of this historic ensemble. The preservation and restoration of this important neoclassical landmark is essential to enhance the cultural and heritage memory of São Francisco do Conde and Bahia.
4. Mother Church of São Gonçalo
The Church of São Gonçalo, patron saint of São Francisco do Conde, is one of the most important examples of the Baroque style in Recôncavo Baiano.
Located in the historic centre of the city, opposite the Praça Barão de São Francisco, the church was built on a 20-metre-high hill, with its façade facing the Baía de Todos os Santos, giving it an impressive view and a prominent position.
Its construction dates from the second half of the 18th century, and the interior is characterised by its seven tribunes in the nave, a significant contribution of Portuguese-Brazilian culture to the Baroque. These Baroque tribunes are architectural elements that give the church a unique character in the region.
The architecture of the church has typical Franciscan features, as can be seen in the doorway with its upholstered pilasters, a common detail in religious buildings of this period and style.
The church is the centre of celebrations for the patron saint, São Gonçalo, whose feast day is celebrated every year on January 28th, bringing together the local community and keeping alive the religious and cultural tradition of São Francisco do Conde.
5. Church of Our Lady of the Mountain
Located on the highest hill in the region, the Nossa Senhora do Monte Church is a landmark that can be seen from afar. But its grandeur is revealed up close, with imposing dimensions and a beautiful panoramic view all around.
The view is one of the most appreciated in the Bahian Recôncavo, offering visitors a dazzling landscape that enchants and delights. The monument is strategically located at the end and highest point of a spur (hilltop), overlooking the waters of Todos os Santos Bay.
The church can be reached by taking a detour from the road that links Candeias to São Francisco do Conde.
Judging by its floor plan, the windows in the sacristies and the care given to the three side doors, it is a building that marks the transition from the 17th to the 18th century, although it was completed or renovated in the middle of the 18th century. 6.
6. Island of Cajaíba
The Cajaíba Sugar Mill played a crucial role in the economic development of the town of São Francisco do Conde.
Cajaíba Island is located in a protected area off the northern coast of Brazil, bathed by the warm waters of the South Atlantic Ocean. One of its first owners was the Governor General of Brazil, Mem de Sá.
In addition to its natural beauty, such as a private beach on the coast, the island is an important part of Brazilian history, taking visitors back to the golden age of sugar aristocracy.
The Cajaíba Mill was one of the most prosperous in the Recôncavo, contributing significantly to the region’s economic growth.
7. São Miguel das Almas Mill
The mill, now in ruins, belonged to Paulo de Argollo, grandfather of the Baron of Cajaíba.
The remains of the large house and the chapel, dating from the 18th century, have been listed as historical heritage, preserving an important part of the memory of Bahia’s Recôncavo and its prosperous era.
The economic and industrial origins of São Francisco do Conde BA
The economic and industrial origins of São Francisco do Conde began with the creation of cane mills, the first and most important economic activity in colonial Brazil. During this period, Brazil stood out as Portugal’s most profitable colony, exporting its production to Europe..
In this context, the municipality of São Francisco do Conde began to develop under the policy of captaincies and sesmarias, a system that gave rise to states such as Bahia, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Sul, Pará and others. The citation reads: “The sesmarias gave rise to many communities. The old settlements became villages, towns and urban centres”.
Mem de Sá’s sesmaria became São Francisco do Sítio, the fundamental centre for the formation of the parish of São Francisco do Conde, located on the lands of the Count of Linhares, Fernando de Noronha.
In economic and industrial terms, the old town of São Francisco prospered thanks to the cultivation of sugar cane. It had more than fifty large sugar mills, many of them powered by machines called engines: Engenho da Vila (Fazenda de São José dos Palmares), Cajaíba, Dom João (converted into a mill), Vanique (founded by a Dutch emigrant, Baltazar Vanique), Marapé, Macaco das Pedras, Gurgainha (where the River Joanes originates), São Lourenço (also converted into a power station), Bananeiras, Colônia (now Usina Santa Elisa), Itatingui, Guaiba, d’Água, Monte, Paramirim, Nôvo and Quicengue.
Gilberto Freyre, in his book “Nordeste”, describes the predominant soil type in the Recôncavo and its characteristics, which favour the cultivation of sugar monocultures. Massapê, he says, is a soil of great resistance and nobility, with depth, ideal for building solid mills, houses and chapels. Freyre claims that in these areas of sticky soil it was possible to establish one of the most permanent and plastic tropical civilisations ever seen.
History and tourism of São Francisco do Conde BA
