EnglishChurch of Our Lady of Misericórdia
Olinda, Pernambuco, Brazil
Religious Architecture
Once the town’s site had been chosen, attention turned to its urban organisation. A site was chosen for its defence tower and residence, in front of which stood the Parish Church of the Saviour. The Hospital of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia charitable institution was placed on the hill at the end of a long curving street; this occurred in the late 1530s. The hospital had a church, which was burned down in 1631 and rebuilt after 1654. The nave is rather small and the chancel almost square. The current adornment is from the 18th century; the carving work indicates a taste for the Portuguese national baroque. A magnificent painted coffered ceiling embellishes the nave, as do the figurative glazed tiles made in Lisbon; a handsome archway walled up in stone remains from the period before Dutch rule. The pulpit with its excellent carving work masterfully imposes itself in the nave. The exterior is from the 18th century, remodelling an earlier façade. Traces also remain of the hospital which functioned until the 19th century. It comprised a large hall akin to a nursing ward and towards the end of its career housed the demented and insane. Residences were located in front of the church but demolished at an unknown time.