The Cathedral Basilica of Salvador (''Catedral Basílica de Salvador''), officially dedicated to the Transfiguration of Christ and named ''Primatial Cathedral Basilica of the Transfiguration of the Lord'' is the seat of the
Archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
of the city of
Salvador
Salvador, meaning "salvation" (or "saviour") in Catalan, Spanish, and Portuguese may refer to:
* Salvador (name)
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
*Salvador (band), a Christian band that plays both English and Spanish music
** ''Salvador'' ( ...
, in the
State of Bahia
Bahia ( , , ; meaning "bay") is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro) and the 5th-largest by ...
, in
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. The Archbishop of Salvador is also ''ex officio'' Primate of Brazil. The structure was built by the
Society of Jesus
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
as part of a large Jesuit monastic and educational complex. The current church is the built on the site, and was consecrated in 1654. After the
expulsion of the Jesuits
The suppression of the Jesuits was the removal of all members of the Society of Jesus from most of the countries of Western Europe and their colonies beginning in 1759, and the abolishment of the order by the Holy See in 1773. The Jesuits were ...
from Brazil in 1759 the school and church were transferred to the Archbishopric of Bahia. Archbishop
Augusto Álvaro da Silva
Augusto Álvaro da Silva (April 8, 1876 – August 14, 1968) was a Brazilian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia from 1924 until his death in 1968, and was elevated to the cardinalate i ...
ordered the demolition of the existing cathedral of Salvador in 1933 to construct a tram line, and elevated the existing Jesuit structure to the status of basilica.
The cathedral is considered one of the finest examples of
Mannerism
Mannerism, which may also be known as Late Renaissance, is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, ...
in the Portuguese empire and strongly resembles the
Jesuit Church of Coimbra. The façade and other elements of the structure utiltize ''Lioz'' stone from Portugal. The interior of the cathedral has a large nave, elaborate baroque-style side altars, a sacristy, library, and ossuary.
The Cathedral Basilica of Salvador faces a broad plaza, the
Terreiro de Jesus; is flanked by the broad Praça da Sé to the south, and overlooks the Bay of All Saints to the rear. It is a focal point of the
Historic Center of Salvador
The Historic Center (American English, US) or Centre (British English, UK; pt, Centro Histórico) of Salvador de Bahia in Brazil, also known as the Pelourinho (Portuguese language, Portuguese for "Pillory") or Pelo, is a historic neighborho ...
, a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
.
History
The Jesuits arrived in the city in the 1549 and planned a Jesuit college under Father
Manuel da Nóbrega
Manuel da Nóbrega (old spelling ''Manoel da Nóbrega'') (18 October 1517 – 18 October 1570) was a Portuguese Jesuit priest and first Provincial of the Society of Jesus in colonial Brazil. Together with José de Anchieta, he was very influe ...
(1517-1570). The
Diocese of São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associat ...
, the first in the Portuguese
colony of Brazil
Colonial Brazil ( pt, Brasil Colonial) comprises the period from 1500, with the arrival of the Portuguese, until 1815, when Brazil was elevated to a kingdom in union with Portugal as the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves. Dur ...
, was created in 1551, only two years after the founding of Salvador by the Portuguese nobleman
Tomé de Sousa
Tomé de Sousa (1503–1579) was the first governor-general of the Portuguese colony of Brazil from 1549 until 1553. He was a nobleman and soldier born in Rates, Póvoa de Varzim. Sousa was born a noble and participated in military expeditions in ...
. The first bishop,
Pero Fernandes Sardinha Dom Pedro Fernandes Sardinha, or Pero Sardinha (1496 – 1556), was a Portuguese priest, first bishop of Brazil.
Biography
Sardinha was born in Évora. He studied at the University of Paris circa 1525. He was appointed chaplain of the St. Sebas ...
, arrived in 1552, and a Jesuit college was established in 1564. The ''Colégio de Jesus'' (School of Jesus) was completed in 1585 through the financial support of the first governor-general of Bahia,
Mem de Sá
Mem de Sá (c. 1500 – 2 March 1572) was a Governor-General of the Portuguese colony of Brazil from 1557 to 1572. He was born in Coimbra, Kingdom of Portugal, around 1500, the year of discovery of Brazil by a naval fleet commanded by Pedro Á ...
. Separately, a cathedral was built in the centre of Salvador around this time. Three Jesuit church buildings were erected on the site of the present-day cathedral, the final being destroyed during the
Dutch occupation of Brazil.
Dutch occupation
The Dutch, upon their entry into Salvador in 1624, stripped the interior of the Jesuit college of its silverwork and a relic reportedly used by St. Francis Xavier. The Dutch used the Jesuit chapel as a warehouse to store barrels of wine confiscated from the city. Salvador was reoccupied by the Portuguese in 1625, but the church, along with most buildings of the city, were heavily damaged and remained under siege by the Dutch until 1654.
Reconstruction of Jesuit complex
![Catedral Basílica de Salvador Nave Ceiling 2019-0834](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Catedral_Bas%C3%ADlica_de_Salvador_Nave_Ceiling_2019-0834.jpg)
The Jesuits gathered to build a fourth church, the present structure, in 1654. The cornerstone of the present structure was laid in 1657 at a grand ceremony and mass. It was attended by Governor-General Jerónimo de Ataíde, the
Conde de Atouguia
Conde may refer to:
Places
United States
* Conde, South Dakota, a city
France
* Condé-sur-l'Escaut (or simply 'Condé'), a commune
Linguistic
''Conde'' is the Ibero-Romance form of "count" (Latin ''comitatus'').
It may refer to:
* Count ...
(1610-1665) and numerous government and military figures. The mass was celebrated by Father
Simão de Vasconcelos
Simao may refer to:
Portuguese name
* Simão (footballer, born 1928), Brazilian footballer
* Simão Sabrosa (born 1979), Portuguese footballer
* Simão Mate Junior (born 1988), Mozambican footballer
* Miguel Simão (born 1973), former Portugue ...
. The structure was completed in 1672. Its frontispiece dates to 1679 and its steeples were completed in 1694. The images of
Saint Ignatius,
Saint Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; Latin: ''Franciscus Xaverius''; Basque: ''Frantzisko Xabierkoa''; French: ''François Xavier''; Spanish: ''Francisco Javier''; Portuguese: ''Francisco Xavier''; 7 April 15063 December 1 ...
, and
Saint Francis of Borja were placed on the frontispiece in 1746. Housing for three religious communities, the father, the Escolásticas, and the Brotherhood; a smaller chapel; a refectory and kitchen; a novitiate; and a small school were completed soon after the opening of the church. The religious community numbered approximately 150, as evidenced by the seating of the domestic chapel. The novitiate was moved to the lower city in 1728 to the present-day
Casa Pia and College of the Orphans of Saint Joachim
Casa Pia and College of the Orphans of Saint Joachim ( pt, Casa Pia e Colégio dos Órfãos de São Joaquim) is a Roman Catholic church, school, and orphanage in Salvador, Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. It was constructed as a Jesuit novitiate i ...
.
Expulsion of the Jesuits
The
Jesuit Order
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders = ...
was
expelled from Brazil by a Royal Letter dated August 28, 1759. The college was besieged by soldiers and all its inhabitants, including priests, students, and brothers, were detained on December 26, 1759. It was one of the final acts of governor
Marcos de Noronha before the arrival of the new governor from Portugal,
Antônio de Almeida Soares. Soares moved the entire community of Jesuits on January 7, 1760 into the domestic chapel of the college and sealed the doors and windows. The members of the community, now prisoners, were taken by armed soldiers to Novitiate of Jiquitaia in the lower city; other troops guarded the route to ward off observers. The community was held until April 18, 1760, when they boarded two boats. The Jesuits were taken to either dungeons in Lisbon or dispersed to pontifical territories in Italy. Their church was transferred to the Archbishopric in 1765 under
Manuel de Santa Inês.
20th century
The remains of the school of the Jesuits, north of the current structure, burned in 1905. The church became the only remnant of the Jesuit complex. The Jesuit school was replaced by the
Medical School of Bahia, and a corridor was built to connect the school to the church. The
Old Cathedral of Salvador
The Old Cathedral of Salvador (antiga Sé da Bahia in Portuguese) was the cathedral of the diocese and later archdiocese of Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, from the 16th century until 1765. In this year, the seat of the archdiocese moved to the curr ...
, built in the late 16th century, was demolished in 1933 under Archbishop
Augusto Álvaro da Silva
Augusto Álvaro da Silva (April 8, 1876 – August 14, 1968) was a Brazilian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia from 1924 until his death in 1968, and was elevated to the cardinalate i ...
(1876-1968) in order to construct a tram route in Salvador. The former Jesuit church became the cathedral of the city.
Location
The Cathedral Basilica of Salvador is located on the edge of the bluff of the historic center of Salvador. It façade faces west and church doors open to the wide
Terreiro de Jesus, a public square. The cathedral looks directly towards the
Church of Saint Dominic at the opposite end of the square; the
Medical School of Bahia and church
Church of Saint Peter of the Clergymen
The Church of Saint Peter of the Clergymen ( pt, Igreja de São Pedro dos Clérigos) is an 18th-century Roman Catholic church in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. It was constructed by the Brotherhood of Saint Peter in approximately 1709 and was renovate ...
to the north of the square; and 19th-century
sobrados at the south of the square. The rear of the church faces the
Bay of All Saints
The Bay of All Saints ( pt, Baía de Todos os Santos), also known as All Saints' Bay and Todos os Santos Bay, is the principal bay of the Brazilian state of Bahia, to which it gave its name. It sits on the eastern coast of Brazil, surrounding pa ...
and the lower city. The cathedral is connected to the Medical School of Bahia by a corridor. The medical school dates to the early 20th century, and replaced the burned-out school of the Jesuits, once part of the church complex. The southern façade of the cathedral was connected to the
Old Cathedral of Salvador
The Old Cathedral of Salvador (antiga Sé da Bahia in Portuguese) was the cathedral of the diocese and later archdiocese of Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, from the 16th century until 1765. In this year, the seat of the archdiocese moved to the curr ...
until its demolition in 1933. The Praça da Sé, a broad square, was built after the demolition of the cathedral and the south façade of the Cathedral Basilica of Salvador, obscured for many centuries, looks onto the square.
Art and architecture
Façade
The Jesuits built the current church structure in the
Mannerist style
Mannerism, which may also be known as Late Renaissance, is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, ...
then fashionable in Portugal. The façade is very similar to contemporary Portuguese churches like the
Jesuit Church of Coimbra. The façade is made in light ''Lioz'' stone brought from Portugal, a feature also found in the
Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in the lower city of Salvador. The facade is flanked by two short bell towers. It has three portals with statues of Jesuit saints,
Ignatius of Loyola
Ignatius of Loyola, Society of Jesus, S.J. (born Íñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola; eu, Ignazio Loiolakoa; es, Ignacio de Loyola; la, Ignatius de Loyola; – 31 July 1556), venerated as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, was a Spain, Spanish Catholic ...
,
Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; Latin: ''Franciscus Xaverius''; Basque: ''Frantzisko Xabierkoa''; French: ''François Xavier''; Spanish: ''Francisco Javier''; Portuguese: ''Francisco Xavier''; 7 April 15063 December 1 ...
and
Francis Borgia
Francis Borgia ( ca-valencia, Francesc de Borja; es, Francisco de Borja; 28 October 1510 – 30 September 1572) was a Spanish Jesuit priest. The great-grandson of Pope Alexander VI, he was Duke of Gandía and a grandee of Spain. After th ...
. The
gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...
on the upper storey of the façade is flanked by typical Mannerist
volute
A volute is a spiral, scroll-like ornament that forms the basis of the Ionic order, found in the capital of the Ionic column. It was later incorporated into Corinthian order and Composite column capitals. Four are normally to be found on an Ion ...
s.
Interior
![Chapels in the Cathedral Basilica of Salvador](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Chapels_in_the_Cathedral_Basilica_of_Salvador.jpg)
Inside, the cathedral is a one-
aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of non-walking spaces on both sides. Aisles with seating on both sides can be seen in airplanes, certain types of buildings, such as churches, cathedrals, synagogues, meeting halls, parl ...
d church of rectangular shape, without
transept
A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building withi ...
and with a very shallow main
chapel
A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...
. The interior of the church, similar to its frontispiece, is lined with ''lioz'' stone from Portugal. The side walls of the church have a series of lateral chapels decorated with altarpieces. This
floorplan
In architecture and building engineering, a floor plan is a technical drawing to Scale (ratio), scale, showing a view from above, of the relationships between rooms, spaces, traffic patterns, and other physical features at one level of a struct ...
scheme is based on the
Church of São Roque in Lisbon, the Jesuit church of the Portuguese capital, built a century earlier. The nave of the church has a deep central altar, two lateral chapels, two chapels at the transept, and three chapels at each side of the nave. The chapels were constructed at different times and reflect numerous architectural periods and styles.
The chapels of the cathedral offer an interesting showcase of
altarpiece
An altarpiece is an artwork such as a painting, sculpture or relief representing a religious subject made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting o ...
art from the late 16th through the mid-18th centuries, all decorated with sculptures and paintings. Very rare are two 16th century
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
altarpieces that belonged to the previous Jesuit church and were reused in the new building. The altarpiece of the main chapel is a fine example of 17th century Mannerist art. Other chapels have
Baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
altarpieces from the mid-18th century. The
barrel vault
A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault, wagon vault or wagonhead vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve (or pair of curves, in the case of a pointed barrel vault) along a given distance. The curves are ...
covering the
nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
of the church is decorated with wooden panels dating from the 18th century. A massive emblem at center displays the Jesuit emblem "
IHS
IHS may refer to:
Religious
* Christogram IHS or ΙΗΣ, a monogram symbolizing Jesus Christ
* ''In hoc signo'', used by Roman emperor Constantine the Great
Organizations
* Indian Health Service, an operating division of the US Department of Hea ...
". The paintings at the base of the nave are in vivid colors with an Asian design. They were painted by
Charles Belleville (1657-1730), a Jesuit who had lived in Macau for ten years prior to his arrival in Bahia.
The Jesuit church lacked a baptistery as it was not a parish church. The baptismal font of the Cathedral Basilica was transferred from the Former See prior to its demolition in 1933 and installed in the Cathedral Basilica.
The façade and floorplan of the Jesuit church of Salvador influenced several other colonial churches in
Northeast Brazil
The Northeast Region of Brazil ( pt, Região Nordeste do Brasil; ) is one of the five official and political regions of the country according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. Of Brazil's twenty-six states, it comprises ni ...
, including the
São Francisco Church of Salvador. The tomb of Mem de Sá's, the first governor-general of Bahia, is located beneath high altar.
Sacristy
The
sacristy
A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.
The sacristy is usually located ...
of the church dates to 1694 and faces west towards the
Bay of All Saints
The Bay of All Saints ( pt, Baía de Todos os Santos), also known as All Saints' Bay and Todos os Santos Bay, is the principal bay of the Brazilian state of Bahia, to which it gave its name. It sits on the eastern coast of Brazil, surrounding pa ...
. The sacristy is called "Brazil's most exquisite".
It was described in 1703 in the diary of an anonymous author as having "walls, floors, and a ceiling of ''jacaranda'' wood with fine paintings; extraordinary furniture, cabinets and gilded closets; with true perfection of joinery." The sacristy now has three altars and is richly decorated with Baroque-style furniture.
The sacristy cabinet dates to the 17th century and has paintings of the life of Jesus on copper panels with an altar at center. The walls are covered in 17th-century Portuguese
azulejo
''Azulejo'' (, ; from the Arabic ''al- zillīj'', ) is a form of Spanish and Portuguese painted tin-glazed ceramic tilework. ''Azulejos'' are found on the interior and exterior of churches, palaces, ordinary houses, schools, and nowadays, resta ...
s. The coffered ceiling of the sacristy has wooden panels painted with Mannerist motifs and portraits of noted members of the Jesuit order.
Protected status
The Cathedral of Salvador was listed as a historic structure by the
National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage
The National Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute (, IPHAN) is a heritage register of the federal government of Brazil. It is responsible for the preservation of buildings, monuments, structures, objects and sites, as well as the register and ...
in 1938. The structure was registered under the Book of Historical Works, Inscription 77 and Book of Fine Arts, fls. 14. The directive is dated May 25, 1938.
Access
The cathedral is open to the public and may be visited.
See also
*
List of Jesuit sites
This list includes past and present buildings, facilities and institutions associated with the Society of Jesus. In each country, sites are listed in chronological order of start of Jesuit association.
Nearly all these sites have bee ...
References
External links
Official website of the Salvador ArchdioceseThe Cathedral on the official touristi website of Salvador
{{Authority control
Salvador
Salvador, meaning "salvation" (or "saviour") in Catalan, Spanish, and Portuguese may refer to:
* Salvador (name)
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
*Salvador (band), a Christian band that plays both English and Spanish music
** ''Salvador'' ( ...
Roman Catholic churches in Salvador, Bahia
Basilica churches in Brazil
16th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Brazil
Historic Center (Salvador, Bahia)
National heritage sites of Bahia
Portuguese colonial architecture in Brazil
Renaissance buildings and structures
1552 establishments in the Portuguese Empire