Igreja São Francisco da Penitência & Convento de Santo Antônio

Rio de Janeiro

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Overlooking the Largo da Carioca is the baroque Igreja São Francisco da Penitência, dating from 1726. The restored church's sacristy, which dates from 1745, has blue Portuguese tiles and an elaborately carved altar made out of jacaranda wood. It also has a roof panel by José Oliveira Rosa depicting St Francis receiving the stigmata.

Next door, the Convento de Santo Antônio was built between 1608 and 1615. It contains the chapel of Nossa Senhora das Dores da Imaculada Conceição.

Fabiano de Cristo, a miracle-working priest who died in 1947, is entombed in the chapel.

Igreja São Francisco da Penitência's statue of Santo Antônio is an object of great devotion to many cariocas in search of a husband or wife. A garden on the church grounds leads to the catacombs, used until 1850. Visits must be arranged in advance.

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