Church of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim, Salvador
Church of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim | |
---|---|
Igreja de Nosso Senhor do Bonfim | |
Religion | |
Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
Rite | Roman |
Location | |
Municipality | Salvador |
State | Bahia |
Country | Brazil |
Geographic coordinates | 12°55′25″S 38°30′29″W / 12.923743°S 38.508093°W |
National Historic Heritage of Brazil | |
Designated | 1938 |
Reference no. | 122 |
The Church of Our Lord of Bonfim (
History
The veneration of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim (Our Lord of the Good End, represented by the crucified Jesus in the moment of his death) is an old tradition in Portugal that was brought to Brazil during colonial times. In 1740, while pursuing a vow, Captain Teodósio Rodrigues de Faria of the Portuguese Navy brought a statue of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim from Setúbal, Portugal, to Salvador. Some years later a religious brotherhood (irmandade) dedicated to Our Lord of Bonfim was founded and a church to house the statue—the current Church of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim—began being built on top of Montserrat hill, in the Itapagipe Peninsula, in the lower town of Salvador. The church sits on the only line of hills on the Itapagipe Peninsula on an elevation now called the Colina Sagrada ("Holy Mount"). Construction on the church began in 1740 and it was inaugurated in 1754. The towers were finished around 1772.[4]
In the 19th century, the Bonfim Brotherhood built houses in the square in front of the church to house the pilgrims (romeiros) that come to Salvador every year to honour Our Lord of Bonfim.
Structure
The Church of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim is constructed of brick and stone masonry. The façade of the church is two-dimensional, with a central body flanked by two towers. The windows and elaborate volutes of the gable of the pediment of the façade are in the Rococo style. The lower parts of the façade were covered by industrial Portuguese azulejo tiles in 1873. They are white with a yellow tint and were designed to resemble those of the Church of Saint Francis in the Historic Center of Salvador. The church has two bell towers; they were crowned with bulbous roofs at the end of the 19th century.[4][5]
Interior
The interior decoration of the church was finished in the 19th century, and consists of a rich archive of painting, azulejos, gilded woodcarvings, and furniture. The nave has a single aisle. The church has six side altars; two on each of the lateral walls and two at the front of the nave. The Neoclassical main altarpiece, which has the form of a baldachin with a cupola sustained by volutes, was carved by the master sculptor Antônio Joaquim dos Santos between 1813 and 1814; he is likely also responsible for its design. The side altars have paintings by José Teófilo de Jesus (ca. 1758–1847) at center in place of the gilded wooden images of saints found in other churches of Bahia. The interior of the church has a great number of azulejos. There are 28 large-scale azulejo panels on the lateral walls of the church depicting the life of Christ. They were painted by Tomáz do Carmo in Lisbon in 1855. Similar panels of azulejos were ordered from Portugal in the same decade to decorate the sacristy, but were never installed. The nave and sacristy have plain azulejos. Between 1816 and 1817 Antônio de Santa Rosa carved the ceiling of the chancel, its tribunes, the chancel arch, and two side altars.[4][5]
Another notable feature of the church is the wooden ceiling painted by Bahia artist Franco Velasco between 1818 and 1820, showing people thanking Our Lord of Bonfim for having survived a shipwreck. The sacristy, nave and other rooms of the church display paintings by another notable Bahia painter, José Teófilo de Jesus and were done in the 1830s.
Noted artwork
- Nave ceiling, Franco Velasco
- Cristo com a Adúltera (Christ with the Adultereress), José Theófilo de Jesus, sacristy
- A Morte do Pecador (Death of the Sinner), attributed to Bento Capinam
- A Morte do Justo (Death of the Just), attributed to Tito Nicolau Capinam[6]
Festa do Bonfim
The Festa do Bonfim (Portuguese:
The celebrations last ten days and end with a large-scale mass in the Bonfim Church. Many worshippers come from far away to honour vows taken to Our Lord of Bonfim. The church has a museum of ex-votos brought by the worshipers in gratitude after receiving a divine grace. The feast includes stands serving traditional food, souvenirs, traditional dances and concerts by local musical groups.
Even though the feast is
Senhor do Bonfim bracelets
Fitinha do Senhor do Bonfim (English: Lord of Bonfim Ribbon) is a souvenir and popular amulet that can be found being sold by street vendors around the Church.The fashion accessory is made from cotton and has the phrase "Lembrança do Senhor do Bonfim da Bahia" (Remembrance of the Lord of Bonfim of Bahia). The term has religious connotations and refers to a representation of Jesus. The Fita do Senhor do Bonfim was worn by a supermodel in Milano, resulting in a cover page in Elle.[9]
Protected status
The Church of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim was listed as a historic structure by the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage in 1938. The structure was registered under the Book of Historical Works, Inscription 131 and Book of Fine Arts, Inscription 23. The directive is dated June 17, 1938.[10]
Access
The church is open to the public and may be visited.
References
- ^ "Essential Salvador: The Senhor Bom Jesus do Bonfim Church". Archived from the original on 2015-09-28. Retrieved 2015-09-27.
- ^ "Bonfim Church of Salvador Bahia". theproverbial.org. Retrieved 2015-09-27.
- ^ "Igreja do Senhor do Bonfim". Sistema de Informações do Patrimônio Cultural da Bahia (SIPAC) (in Portuguese). Salvador, Bahia: Instituto do Patrimônio Artístico e Cultural da Bahia. 2021. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
- ^ a b c "Igreja Basílica de Nosso Senhor do Bonfim" (in Portuguese). Salvador, Brazil: IPAC. 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
- ^ a b Ott, Carlos (1979). Evolução das artes plásticas nas Igrejas do Bonfim, Boqueirão e Saúde. Salvador: Universidade Federal da Bahia, Centro de Estudos Baianos. pp. 103–105.
- Wikidata Q63335501
- ^ ISSN 0261-3050.
- ISBN 9788568419953.
- ^ "Fitas do Senhor do Bonfim/ Tapes Senhor do Bonfim | Argosfoto". argosfoto.photoshelter.com. Retrieved 2015-09-27.
- ISBN 9788520800577.