Church And Convent Of Saint Francis (São Paulo)
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The Church and Convent of Saint Francis was a religious institution installed in the town of
São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
during
colonial Brazil Colonial Brazil (), sometimes referred to as Portuguese America, comprises the period from 1500, with the Discovery of Brazil, arrival of the Portuguese, until 1815, when Brazil was elevated to a United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves ...
. In the 19th century, the convent was converted into a
Law School A law school (also known as a law centre/center, college of law, or faculty of law) is an institution, professional school, or department of a college or university specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for b ...
. The Church of the Wounds of the Seraphic Father Saint Francis, built by the
Secular Franciscan Order The Secular Franciscan Order (; abbreviated OFS) is part of the Third Order of Saint Francis, third branch of the Franciscans, Franciscan family formed by Catholic Church, Catholic men and women who seek to observe the Gospel of Jesus in Christia ...
, is next to it. The ensemble formed by the Law School and the two churches has great historical value and is situated in
Largo de São Francisco Largo de São Francisco is home to some important landmarks in the history of São Paulo and is considered one of the city's main Baroque architecture complexes. It is also known as the "ground zero" of Brigadeiro Luís Antônio, one of the city ...
, in the
Historic Center of São Paulo The Historic Center of São Paulo (Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''Centro Histórico de São Paulo''), also known as Centro, is a neighborhood in the Central Zone of São Paulo, Central Zone of the municipality of São Paulo, Brazil. It corresp ...
.


History

In 1639, the friars of the Franciscan Order came to São Paulo from
Bahia Bahia () is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Mina ...
and initially settled in the Church of Saint Anthony. However, the place was considered unhealthy and, after a request to the
City Council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough counc ...
in 1642, the friars moved to a plot of land located on one of the edges of the hill where the town was founded. On this site, in the current
Largo de São Francisco Largo de São Francisco is home to some important landmarks in the history of São Paulo and is considered one of the city's main Baroque architecture complexes. It is also known as the "ground zero" of Brigadeiro Luís Antônio, one of the city ...
, they built their convent, which was inaugurated on September 17, 1647. The convent church was extensively modified in the mid-18th century in order to achieve the
Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
style, with a single
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 ...
and two Baroque carved
altarpieces An altarpiece is a painting or sculpture, including relief, of religious subject matter 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 or sculpture, ...
in the
transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...
. Also noteworthy is the
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choir stalls A choir, also sometimes called quire, is the area of a church or cathedral that provides seating for the clergy and church choir. It is in the western part of the chancel, between the nave and the sanctuary, which houses the altar and Church tab ...
. At the end of the 19th century, the church and adjoining convent were badly damaged in a fire. At that time, a new altarpiece, bought in
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, was installed on the high altar. The curved wooden ceiling of the nave has paintings on the life of St. Francis dating from 1953, reworked from those destroyed in 1880.


Church of Saint Francis

Located in Largo de São Francisco, it is owned by the
Order of Friars Minor The Order of Friars Minor (commonly called the Franciscans, the Franciscan Order, or the Seraphic Order; Post-nominal letters, postnominal abbreviation OFM) is a Mendicant orders, mendicant Catholic religious order, founded in 1209 by Francis ...
. It is situated next to the Church of the Wounds of the Seraphic Father Saint Francis and the Law School of the University of São Paulo. In 1982, the church became a registered heritage site.


Chapel of the Third Order

In 1676, the brothers of the Secular Franciscan Order began building a chapel for the order inside the Franciscan church. Inaugurated in 1787, the chapel was gradually expanded until it became an independent temple, with its facade attached to the convent church.


Law School

In the 1820s, the Franciscans abandoned the convent building because it was required by the
imperial government The name imperial government () denotes two organs, created in 1500 and 1521, in the Holy Roman Empire, Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation to enable a unified political leadership, with input from the Princes. Both were composed of the empero ...
to house the Academy of Social and Legal Sciences, now the Law School of the University of São Paulo. In 1933, the building was demolished for the construction of a new facility in the
neo-colonial Neocolonialism is the control by a state (usually, a former colonial power) over another nominally independent state (usually, a former colony) through indirect means. The term ''neocolonialism'' was first used after World War II to refer to t ...
style, designed by Ricardo Severo.


Gallery

File:Academia de Direito e Convento de São Francisco, SP, 1862.jpg, link=, Convent (now converted into a college) and Churches of St. Francis and the Third Order in 1862. File:Largo do Capim-Largo São Francisco (SP, 1860).jpg, link=,
Militão Augusto de Azevedo Militão Augusto de Azevedo (Rio de Janeiro, 1837 — São Paulo, 1905) was a Brazilian photographer and actor active in the second half of the 19th century. Militão founded the Photographia Americana studio in 1875, where his clients included Ca ...
: View towards Largo de São Francisco, São Paulo. File:Faculdade de Direito do Largo de São Francisco - São Paulo - Brasil 1860.png, link=, Law School of Largo de São Francisco, around 1860.


See also

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Largo de São Francisco Largo de São Francisco is home to some important landmarks in the history of São Paulo and is considered one of the city's main Baroque architecture complexes. It is also known as the "ground zero" of Brigadeiro Luís Antônio, one of the city ...
*
Tourism in the city of São Paulo Tourism in the city of São Paulo stands out more for its business tourism than recreational tourism. However, cultural tourism is also important for the city, especially due to the several international events that take place in the region, such ...


References

Central Zone of São Paulo Churches in São Paulo Churches completed in 1643 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Brazil Roman Catholic churches in São Paulo {{Visitor attractions in São Paulo