| Salvador - Museums - Sacred Art Museum |
Sacred Art Museum |
Founded in 1959, the Museum of Sacred Art of the Federal University of Bahia was
inaugurated in the area where the Convento de Santa Teresa and the church with the same name functioned. Before these constructions, there used
to be a madhouse on a land donated by Dom Afonso VI, king of Portugal. The legend says that the buildings were built with the money raised by
alms.
The convent was run by the Order of the Barefoot Carmelites which was annulled in
1840 due to the resentment of the people of Bahia in relation to the Portuguese with the end of the struggles in favor of the independence of
Bahia. The Laziest priests took over the convent that was abandoned in 1956 and fell into ruins until the middle of 1958, when the dean of the
Federal University of Bahia decided to found the Museu de Arte Sacra through an agreement with the Archdiocese of Salvador.
The building is considered to be an important piece of the Portuguese culture and
mainly of the Baiano culture. It is known for having the largest collections of sacred art in Brazil. Listed as historical patrimony by IPHAN –
Instituto do Patrimonio Histórico Artistico e Nacional – the building is located in the historical center of Salvador, elected by Unesco as
"World Heritage".
From time to time it organized exhibitions, conventions, courses and lectures. It
receives support from the state government and of organs linked to the culture coming from other countries. It is of a great historical value due
to its architecture and because it has important pieces of art which make it recognized as one of the largest museums of sacred art in Latin
America. The Collection is made up by objects donated by churches and other religious entities. In its estate, it is possible to find works of
the Benedictine monk Frei Agostino da Liberdade and the image of Nossa Senhora das Maravilhas, made in wood and covered in silver, brought from
Portugal, same say that praying at the feet of the image, the Jesuit priest realized that it was necessary to tech how to read and write.
There are also pieces made in wary like “The Christ” cowed by the Indians of and
the "Anjos Tacheucs" that measures 1,85m in height. Besides this, there are various pieces of silverware, furniture and paintings that date back
to the 18th century.
Address: Rua do Sodre, 25
Phone: (71) 243-6310 |
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