The most famous of Salvador's baroque churches, and arguably the most lavish church interior in Brazil. The plain facade gives no warning of what is inside: walls, ceilings, and altars coated in an estimated 800 kilograms of gold leaf, elaborate carved wooden saints, and a blue-and-white tile panel running along the cloister that tells the life of St Francis in Portuguese azulejos. Look up at the ceiling trompe-l'œil and down at the floor, where the Afro-Brazilian artisans who carved much of the work are buried under the flagstones. Entry includes the adjoining Third Order chapel.
Igreja de São Francisco
Salvador's gold-covered baroque church with 800 kg of gold leaf