The Church of Our Lady of Protection () is an 18th-century

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

church in

São Cristóvão São Cristóvão (, ''Saint Christopher'') is a Brazilian Municipalities of Brazil, municipality in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeastern state of Sergipe. Founded at the mouth of the Vaza-Barris River on January 1, 1590, the municipality is ...

Sergipe Sergipe (), officially State of Sergipe, is a States of Brazil, state of Brazil. Located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region along the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the country, Sergipe is the smallest state in Brazil by geogra ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

. It is located the ''cidade alta'', or upper city, of the town in close proximity to the Carmelite complex of the First Order Church and Convent of Mount Carmel and the Third Order of Mount Carmel. The church is dedicated to Our Lady of Protection and is the property of the Archdiocese of Aracaju. In the rigidly socially stratified society of colonial Brazil the churches of Our Lady of Protection were built by and for people of

mixed race The term multiracial people refers to people who are mixed with two or more races and the term multi-ethnic people refers to people who are of more than one ethnicities. A variety of terms have been used both historically and presently for mul ...

. The church is part of the

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World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

São Francisco Square São Francisco Square () is a historic plaza in São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil. The square, or ''praça'', is an open space surrounded by Portuguese colonial-period buildings such as the Church and Convent of Santa Cruz (São Francisco Church) ...

; it was separately 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 an ...

(IPHAN) in 1962.

Location

The Church of Our Lady of Protection is located on the southernmost street of the ''cidade alta'', or upper city, of São Cristóvão on Rua Messias Prado. The church sits on Rua Messias Prado roughly halfway between the Carmelite complex and Rua Eng. Boto de Barros. The street has numerous 17th and 18th century residences, including the Sobrado at Rua das Flores. A narrow alley runs along the left (west) side of the church and faces Rua Mamede F. Dantas at rear. The church opens to a shallow, small paved

churchyard In Christian countries, a churchyard is a patch of land adjoining or surrounding a church (building), church, which is usually owned by the relevant church or local parish itself. In the Scots language and in both Scottish English and Ulster S ...

History

The exact date of construction of the church is unclear, but likely dates to the late 18th century. It was built by the Brotherhood of Our Lady of Protection (''Irmandade de Nossa Senhora do Amparo''). In the stratified society of colonial Brazil, the white Portuguese population worshipped at the parish church; in São Cristóvão, the

Parish Church of Our Lady of Victory The Parish Church of Our Lady of Victory () is a 17th-century Roman Catholic church in São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil. The church is one of the earliest remaining structures in both the municipality of São Cristóvão and the state of Sergipe; ...

, built in 1608 prior to the Dutch rule in São Cristóvão from 1637 to 1645. The Brotherhood of Our Lady of Protection built its church to serve people of mixed race; the nearby Church of Our Lady of the Rosary was completed in 1745 by and for the freed and enslaved

Afro-Brazilian Afro-Brazilians (; ), also known as Black Brazilians (), are Brazilians of total or predominantly Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Most multiracial Brazilians also have a range of degree of African ancestry. Brazilians whose African features are mo ...

population of São Cristóvão. Its location is also indicative of the racial social strata of São Cristóvão: churches and convents of the Portuguese were located on the two principal plazas of the town, while the Church of Our Lady of Protection is located beyond the squares, and the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary on the periphery. Varied construction elements of the church indicate that it was built over a long period of time, and its simplicity indicates it was likely never completed.

Structure

The Church of Our Lady of Protection was built on a regular, rectangular plan with a single bell tower at right. The walls are of mixed masonry, and utilize ceramic bricks and natural limestone from the region. The façade is simple, with a single portal with three windows at the

choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

level. The doors and windows are simply framed in mortar. The pediment is simple, with baroque-style

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 ...

s and a single oculus at center; it is surmounted by a simple Latin cross. A single, small statue sits to the left of the pediment.

Bell tower

The

bell tower A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell to ...

dates to a later period, likely to the 19th century. It was possibly modelled on the bell towers of the

Co-Cathedral of Recife The Co-Cathedral of St. Peter of Clerics () Also Recife Co-Cathedral It is a Catholic church located in the city of Recife, state of Pernambuco in the South American country of Brazil. History and description The Brotherhood of St. Peter of Cler ...

, better known as the Church of São Pedro dos Clérigos in

Recife Recife ( , ) is the Federative units of Brazil, state capital of Pernambuco, Brazil, on the northeastern Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of South America. It is the largest urban area within both the North Region, Brazil, North and the Northeast R ...

Pernambuco Pernambuco ( , , ) is a States of Brazil, state of Brazil located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast region of the country. With an estimated population of 9.5 million people as of 2024, it is the List of Brazilian states by population, ...

. The bell tower has a small door in a similar style as the central portal and a window corresponding to those of the choir level. The upper part of the tower dates to a later period; it has three levels: a square at base, an octagon at center that serves as a

belfry The belfry /ˈbɛlfri/ is a structure enclosing bells for ringing as part of a building, usually as part of a bell tower or steeple. It can also refer to the entire tower or building, particularly in continental Europe for such a tower attached ...

with a circular level above. The square level has a small niche with an image of the Virgin Mary.

Interior

The interior of the church has a single nave and chancel; the sacristy is located to the right of the chancel. The church has a single side aisle at right; doors and tribunes at left indicate another aisle was planned but not completed. The interior elements of the church are simple. It has a pulpit and altar rail in wood. The two side altars and high altar are in a neoclassical style and "crudely designed and executed."

Protected status

The church was listed as a historic structure by the

in 1962. It was included in the perimeter of the

in 2010.

Access

The Church of Our Lady of Protection is not open to the public and may not be visited.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Church of Our Lady of Protection (São Cristóvão) Baroque church buildings in Brazil Roman Catholic churches in Sergipe 18th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Brazil National heritage sites of Sergipe Portuguese colonial architecture in Brazil