Church and Convent of São Francisco, Salvador

The main façade faces a large rectangular square, the Largo do Cruzeiro, with a large stone cross. The façade shows influences of Mannerist architecture through the Jesuit Church of Salvador, among other buildings. Sandstone from the Boa Viagem quarry, located on the Itapagipe Peninsula, was used for the façade. The quarry was a donation to the Franciscan fathers. Like the Cathedral of Salvador, it has three portals and two flanking bell towers. The upper part of the façade (gable) is flanked by elaborate volutes. The center of the monumental pediment has a statue of Saint Francis of Assisi in white marble. It is now covered in layers of paint and placed in the niche at the end of the first half of the 18th century. A relief of the coats of arms of the Franciscan Order is placed above the statue. The smooth tiles covering the towers are also from a later period and serve further to accentuate the main body of the façade was originally in dark sandstone. Tiles were added at a later period "to accentuate the main body of the façade".[1][6]

A large cross in lioz marble, imported from Lisbon, sits in the broad square in front of the church. A large cross (Portuguese: cruzeiro) was common to Franciscan churches in Brazil; it demarcated the sacred space of an urban area. The cruzeiro of the São Francisco Church stands 8 metres (26 ft) on a square base of 5.5 metres (18 ft) by 5.5 metres (18 ft). The cross is dated 1807 and has an inscription Latin. The square in front of the São Francisco Church is now named for the cross, and is known as the Largo do Cruzeiro de São Francisco. Despite its location in a public space, the cruzeiro belongs to the Third Order of Saint Francis of Salvador.[1][8]

Crossing and main chapel of the church. Note the wooden panels with paintings on the ceiling.

The most important characteristic of the church is its exuberant inner decoration, mostly executed in the first half of the 18th century. All interior surfaces--walls, pillars, vaults and ceilings--are covered by golden sculpted gilt woodwork and paintings. The altarpieces have Solomonic columns and concentric arches decorated with golden foliage, angels, and birds. The vaults of the aisles are covered by wooden panels with paintings. Of particular note are the carvings of eight massive Atlanteans support the lateral altars.[9][10]

Blue-white tile (azulejo) panels, by Bartolomeu Antunes de Jesus and imported from Lisbon, cover the lower parts of the walls of the main chapel and transept and depict scenes of the life of St Francis of Assisi. The decoration of the church is considered one of the most complete and imposing in Portuguese-Brazilian Baroque gilt woodwork art (talha dourada), being a perfect example of the "golden church" (igreja dourada).[9][10]

The convent of São Francisco is also an important repository of Baroque art. The wooden ceiling of the entrance hall (portaria) was painted with scenes in illusionistic perspective by José Joaquim da Rocha in 1774.[9]

Two holy water fonts are located below the choir level at the center of the nave. They are of brecha Arrábida, a multicolor limestone from Portugal of variegated in color but predominantly reddish brown, and were a gift from King John V of Portugal. Brecha Arrábida was also used on the columns and altars of the Monastery of Jesus of Setúbal.[5]

The cloister of the São Francisco Church and Convent was constructed between 1707 and 1752. It consists of two stories. Stone was ordered from Boipeba Island in present-day Cairu, Bahia, to construct the cloister by Frei Alvaro da Conceição. The cloister is circled by arches supported by stone columns, and its walkways provided shade from the harsh climate of Brazil. It served as a place for private meditation, community gatherings, interior processions; in contrast to the public use of the church.[9][1][10][2]

A monumental set of blue-and-white azulejo tile panels were placed around the entirety of the cloister in the final period of construction. Of the approximately 50,000 azulejos in the church and convent, 35,000 are used in the cloister. The azulejos, like lioz marble, was carried to Brazil in the ballast of Portuguese ships. The azulejos were produced in Portugal by an unknown artist. They are sometimes attributed to Bartolomeu Antunes da Jesus, but differ greatly from his other works. Thijs Weststeijn attributes them to a Portuguese team of artist working in the Netherlands, likely in Delft.[9][11]

The artwork of the azulejos were inspired by the work of the Flemish artist Otto van Veen, also known as Octavius Vaenius (c.1556 – 6 May 1629), print in the emblem book Quinti Horati Flacci Emblemata, first published in 1607. Some panels correspond directly to prints in the book. The panels of azulejos, 37 in number, depict mythological scenes with moralistic allegories by the Roman poet Horace. Each panel is surrounded by an ornate frame of flora, vases, and mascarons; each panels also a Latin inscription at its base. They variously depict citizens, soldiers, pagan gods, fauna, flora, European architecture, and putti. The azulejos were manufactured in Portugal, and arrived in Bahia between 1743 and 1746; their installation was completed in 1748.[9][11]

The sacristy of the São Francisco Church and Convent is located directly behind the high altar and is accessed via chapels to either side of the chancel. It has a massive sacristy cabinet with an altar at center and other carved Baroque furniture. The walls are covered in 17th-century Portuguese azulejos; the ceiling is elaborately coffered. The lavabo is in white and red lioz limestone with the motif of the Franciscan order at center, an image in the niche at top, and elaborate masks motifs at the two taps.[5]