In the central plaza of Salvador and in the street below the Pelourinho are two churches that symbolize the colonial past of Salvador.
The first is the Church of Saint Francis, dedicated to the saint dedicated to the poor. In the Portuguese colonial times this dedication meant using some 600 slaves to construct the church, which features some 700 kilos of gold.
Saint Francis is shown on the altar in a pose that appears martyr-like.
The rear of the church has a space where the non-consecrated could stand. But not the slaves. They were not part of the congregation, which was for centuries comprised of the “European” elite of Salvador.
During this period many slaves became expert craftspeople, working in precious metals, wood and stone. Some of the carving in balustrades and dividing walls around the nave feature lush figures evocative of African fertility symbols, a sign of the artistic heritage that seems to subvert and resist the baroque European lavishness of the cathedral.
Church of Sao Francisco (Saint Francis)
The church of Saint Francis was built by, but not for, blacks in Salvador. Barred from worship in the colonial baroque cathedral, they built their own church using the labor and craftsmanship that had built the larger European-style churches.
Nossa Senhora do Rosario dos Pretos is just below the plaza of the Pelourinho and called Our Lady of the Rosary of the Blacks. It is simpler than the Church of Saint Francis, but shows much of the same artisanship in construction. Perhaps it could pass as one of the smaller European-style churches since black artisans had received their training in this form.
In an odd historical footnote, some of these artisans were able to return to Africa where they brought their skills with them. This led to the unusual phenomenon of African houses of worship (generally on the Benin coast) that look like Portuguese-Brazilian parish churches.
Nossa Senhora do Rosario dos Pretos (Our Lady of the Rosary of the Blacks)
The church worships various figures that are represented as white — Our Lady of the Rosary and Saint Barbara. But a special place is reserved for black saints such as Saint Benedict (Sao Bento), Saint Iphegenia, and Saint Lesbao.
Particularly honored in Anastasja — not a saint, but a symbol of the oppression of slaves. She is known as a mistress/slave of a jealous master who first masked her to avoid her speaking, then eventually killed her. She is honored in a special altar in the rear courtyard of the church.
