Built in Olinda on a flat slope on a high hill, the Church of St Francis dates from the 18th century, at a time in which its (annexed) convent was rebuilt.
In front of the temple is a large and artistic stone cross and inside are beautiful tile panels representing the life of Our Lady. The entrance and the cloister are decorated with six tiles on the life of Santa Ana, and sixteen panels on the life of St Francis respectively.
On the ceiling of the nave is a large painting representing the Seraphic Orb, comprising the four parts of the universe. There is an interesting niche in the centre of the nave, which houses the chapel of the Third Brothers, a building in pure Baroque style. Certain scholars attest that in terms of beauty, this chapel rivals the Golden Chapel in Recife.
In the sacristy, due to its Baroque strength, one of the most precious altar-pieces of the country stands out. There are also cabinets and repositories (of carved jacaranda wood), a Portuguese stone washbasin and paintings, particularly flowers, and episodes of the life of St Anthony on its ceiling. It is worth mentioning that all of this collection is very poorly maintained and is threatening to collapse due to landslides in Olinda.
In the church’s small chapel, where there is an old carved altar, (perhaps from the time of the primitive convent), there is also the tomb of the captain Francisco do Rego Barros and his wife, Arcângela da Silveira, covered with a Marble tombstone and displaying a coat of arms.
With federal resources, a series of upgrades began in 1952 in the temple: restoration of all the tile panels of the cloister and the entrance and refurbishment of the nave; cleaning and varnishing of the paintings of the nave’s mouldings, whose frames were repainted; restoration of the churchyard with clay tiles; electrical installation with reflectors; restoration of the main façade and restoration of the old roof framing; recovery of the convent roof; cleaning of the ceiling and restoration of the library’s carvings.
Concerning the Church of St Francis’ assets, the 22 September 1850 inventory of the Brotherhood recorded the following:
The Venerable Third Order of St Francis of Olinda – Has: a single-storey house on Ria do Amparo, bought from Maria de Porciúncula dos Anjos; Worth 300$000.
Three houses in Rua do Carmo built by the Order; value 700$000.
Some floors on Rua do Amparo, bought by the Order of Mary Magdalene of Jesus, and are valued at 1$000; Cost 16$000.
Consistory of Venerable Third Order of St Francis of Olinda.
Recife, 4 August 2003.
(Updated on 21 January 2008).
Translated by Peter Leamy, December 2016.
sources consulted
ABRANTES, Jorge. As obras do patrimônio histórico em Olinda. Anuário de Olinda, Olinda, PE, ano 10, p. 35, dez. 1956.
GUERRA, Flávio. Velhas igrejas do Recife, Olinda e Igarassu. [Recife?: s.n., 196?].
_________. Velhas igrejas e subúrbios históricos. Recife: Fundação Guararapes, 1970.
IGREJA de São Francisco. [Foto neste texto]. Disponível em:<http://www.casadeolinda.com/?p=87>. Acesso em: 7 fev. 2017
MUELLER, Bonifácio. Olinda e suas igrejas: esboço histórico. Recife: Livraria Pio XII, 1945.
how to quote this text
Source: VAINSENCHER, Semira Adler. Igreja de São Francisco, Olinda, PE. Pesquisa Escolar Online, Fundação Joaquim Nabuco, Recife. Disponível em: <https://pesquisaescolar.fundaj.gov.br/en/>. Acesso em: dia mês ano. Ex: 6 ago. 2009.