EnglishChurch and Retreat of Our Lady of the Conception
Olinda, Pernambuco, Brazil
Religious Architecture
In 1585, the congregation of nuns of Our Lady of the Conception owned a church and several houses located near the Santa Casa da Misericórdia hospital at the Alto da Matriz in Olinda. That same year, they donated the houses to one Maria da Rosa, a so-called língua or interpreter, who was even used to translate the natives’ confessions to priests. But, in 1631, all these buildings were torched. In 1666, the property was handed over to the Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Olinda. The convent-like shelter then built by that char- itable institution progressed slowly, beginning in 1676. The architectural features of the church standing today are in line with baroque tastes prevailing in the second half of the 17th century. Most interesting is the arched Franciscan-style portico. The interior has a magnificent painted ceiling dating from the second half of the 18th century, as well as figurative tile panels made around the same time. The paintings are among a very significant group existing in Olinda and Recife, but the artists are not identified. The rather sober-looking convent is built beside and at the back of the church.