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Church of Our Lady of the Rosary of the Black People
São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil
Religious Architecture
The formation of religious brotherhoods became a common practice in Brazil from the 18th century onwards, and was also adopted by African slaves who converted to Catholicism. Among the black people, brotherhoods who worshipped Our Lady of the Rosary were common and sprang up all around the colony. This church was founded in São Cristóvão, following the creation of such a brotherhood. Construction began in 1746, coinciding with the era when the development of the sugar industry brought numerous slaves to the area. The building evokes the type of religious architecture common in Brazil during the early stages of colonisation. This is evident in the frontispiece, which is framed by two stone cornerstones and has a single door, two choir windows and an oculus in the tympanum. Only the stone frames of the door and windows contrast with the white walls. On the right, there is a low tower faced in ceramic tiles with a hipped roof. The exterior volumes of the building clearly reveal its interior design, the main body of the small church consisting of a nave and chancel. A small chapel dedicated to Saint Benedict is annexed to this and can be accessed from the nave through an arcade. A sacristy with a washbasin inscribed with the date 1743 adjoins the chancel. The church has three altarpieces, with two small side altars in the nave and a high altar. Germain Bazin classified them as a continuation of the rococo and neoclassical styles used in Bahia, reproduced here in a “crude” manner by the artisans of Sergipe. Because of its historical and architectural value, the church was listed by IPHAN in 1943.
Maria Berthilde Moura Filha