RouteAracaju

São Cristóvão: Brazil's Fourth-Oldest City & Colonial Gem

São Cristóvão — 25 km from Aracaju — is Brazil's fourth-oldest city and a UNESCO World Heritage candidate; the Praça São Francisco and its baroque church complex are among the finest in northeastern Brazil

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1
Praça São Francisco
Praça São Francisco in São Cristóvão — a large colonial square with the Convento e Igreja de São Francisco and the Igreja da Misericórdia on opposite sides — is one of Brazil's finest colonial urban spaces
2
Convento de São Francisco
The Franciscan monastery and church complex - dating from 1693 - has an important collection of Baroque art; the carved wooden altars, the painted ceiling and the cloister are in excellent preservation
3
Museu Histórico de Sergipe
The State Historical Museum of São Cristóvão documents the history of Sergipe from colonial times to independence — the collection of religious art, furniture and historical documents is made
4
Colonial Streets of São Cristóvão
The cobbled streets of São Cristóvão – lined with colonial-era houses painted in ochre, white and blue – maintain an atmosphere of 17th- and 18th-century Brazil almost completely intact
5
São Cristóvão Market Day
The Saturday market in São Cristóvão brings farmers from Sergipe's interior — the local produce, forró music and food stalls create a colonial-era market atmosphere
6
Colonial History of Sergipe
Sergipe was Brazil's smallest and poorest state — São Cristóvão's colonial architecture survived only because there was never money to demolish and rebuild; the preservation is accidental and complete