Bonfim Church

The Igreja do Senhor do Bonfim was finished in the 1750s on a hill above the bay, and it draws more devotion than any other church in Bahia. The fitas do Bonfim - coloured ribbons printed with the church's name - are tied to the railings and to wrists with three knots and three wishes, and they are sold by the handful outside; the convention is that the wishes come true when the ribbon wears through and falls off. Inside, the Sala dos Milagres holds ex-votos left in thanks: wax and wooden arms, legs, heads and organs hung from the ceiling, alongside photographs and written notes. The Lavagem do Bonfim each January, when Candomble women wash the church steps with scented water, is one of the clearest public expressions of how the two religions sit together in Bahia.

History

The devotion to Nosso Senhor do Bonfim, Christ crucified at the moment of his death, came from Portugal, and in 1740 Captain Teodósio Rodrigues de Faria of the Portuguese navy, fulfilling a vow, brought a statue of it from Setúbal to Salvador. A brotherhood was founded, the church was built on the hill of the Itapagipe peninsula from 1740 and inaugurated in 1754, with the towers finished around 1772; in the 19th century the brotherhood built houses on the square for the pilgrims, and in 1938 the church was listed as a historic monument (Wikipedia, Church of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim, Salvador).

What's there

• The wish ribbons - fitas tied with three knots on the railings.
• The Sala dos Milagres - wax limbs and photographs left in thanks.
• A 1750s hilltop church - the most visited in Bahia.
• The January washing - Candomble women cleaning the steps in public ritual.

When to go

All year; the second Thursday of January for the Lavagem. Two hours.

Good to know

Ribbon sellers outside are persistent and prices are negotiable. The Sala dos Milagres is small and can feel intrusive if crowded. The neighbourhood is a working part of the lower city; take normal care. The Lavagem is enormous and closes the area entirely.

Nearby

Sao Joaquim market is nearby; the Pelourinho is up in the Cidade Alta.

Key facts