invme Place
EverywhereChange city
All cities · Everywhere →
EN
ENEnglish RURussian FRFrench DEGerman ITItalian ESSpanish PTPortuguese PT-BRBrazilian Portuguese ES-MXLatin American Spanish FR-CACanadian French EN-GBBritish English UKUkrainian PLPolish JAJapanese NLDutch KOKorean SVSwedish DADanish NBNorwegian FIFinnish CSCzech HEHebrew ELGreek ZH-HANTTraditional Chinese HUHungarian RORomanian HRCroatian SKSlovak SLSlovenian ETEstonian LVLatvian LTLithuanian BGBulgarian TRTurkish

Basílica Do Senhor Do Bonfim

Churches & cathedrals ·Senhor do Bonfim
4.750.7K
#4Churches & cathedrals in BrazilMost reviewed in Senhor do Bonfim
Make a plan here Website

Sign up free — See who's going and message them.

About

Basílica do Senhor do Bonfim in Salvador, Bahia: a minor basilica on the Itapagipe peninsula and one of Brazil's most popular pilgrimage churches.

More photos 6

1 / 6
Basílica Do Senhor Do Bonfim — The richly decorated nave, pews and main altar Natally Acioli · CC BY-SA 4.0 · edited
Basílica Do Senhor Do Bonfim — The richly decorated nave, pews and main altarBasílica Do Senhor Do Bonfim — The basilica's white façade and twin bell towersBasílica Do Senhor Do Bonfim — A crowd gathered before the basilica during a religious eventBasílica Do Senhor Do Bonfim — A decorated side altar with a large religious paintingBasílica Do Senhor Do Bonfim — The basilica façade and colorful ribbons tied along its railingsBasílica Do Senhor Do Bonfim — Close view of the ornate altar and its lace-covered base

Why go

  • The fitas, colourful ribbons recognised across Brazil and even beyond, handed out here.
  • The Lavagem do Bonfim: the church steps and square are washed with scented water to songs in Yoruba.
  • The Festa do Senhor do Bonfim, held here every year, with an eight-kilometre procession from Conceição da Praia that ends at the church.

Don't miss

  • Main altarCarved in 1813–1814 by the sculptor Antônio Joaquim dos Santos.Inside the church. On the map
  • Wooden ceilingPainted by Franco Velasco between 1818 and 1820; the scene shows people giving thanks for surviving a shipwreck.Inside the church, overhead. On the map
  • Choir ceiling and side altarsCarved by Antônio de Santa Rosa, who also carved the two side altars.Inside the church, at the choir and the two side altars. On the map
  • Paintings by José Teófilo de JesusPaintings from the 1830s hang in the nave and the sacristy.Inside the church. On the map
  • Azulejo facadeThe lower part of the facade is covered in azulejo tiles.On the front of the church, the lower facade. On the map

Know before you go

  • During the traditional washing, the church doors stay shut while people splash water on the steps.
  • A wish comes true only if the ribbon wears off on its own. A ribbon cut off early grants nothing.

Services and visiting hours

Souvenirs
Cotton bracelets sold near the church as souvenirs hang by the tens of thousands on its fences.

Interesting facts3

1/3

  1. The image arrived as a vow made by a captain during a violent storm.

    Église Notre-Seigneur-de-la-Bonne-fin de Salvador - Wikipedia
  2. 1923

    Poets Arthur de Salles and João Antônio Wanderley wrote a hymn to Bonfim in 1923, and it is still very popular in Bahia today.

    Église Notre-Seigneur-de-la-Bonne-fin de Salvador - Wikipedia

  3. In Candomblé, Bonfim is linked to Oxalá; the festival combines church roots with that belief.

    Basilica Nosso Senhor do Bonfim - Wikipedia

Shorts

History

The image first stayed in the Penha church. It remained there until the Bonfim brotherhood had this church built on the hill. In the 19th century the brotherhood also built houses on the square to lodge pilgrims. Oil lamps lit the church until public street lighting arrived in 1862. Electric wiring installed in 1902 was kept until the church was restored in 1998. The archdiocese later banned washing inside the church, and the ritual moved to the steps and forecourt. The festival itself dates back to the late 18th century.

  1. 1740Captain Teodósio Rodrigues de Faria brings the statue of Jesus do Bonfim from Setúbal.
  2. 1746–1754The Bonfim brotherhood builds the church.
  3. 1772The towers are completed, around 1772.
  4. 1773The washing of the church begins; enslaved people are made to clean it.
  5. 1927Pope Pius XI raises the church to the rank of minor basilica.
Show all
  1. 1938The church is added to the national historic heritage list.
  2. 1985The old town of Salvador becomes a UNESCO site, including the basilica.

How to get there

  • 15 minBusTake a bus from the city to the church. The ride takes about fifteen minutes.

Sources: Church of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim, Salvador - Wi… · Salvador - Wikivoyage (see) · Basilica Nosso Senhor do Bonfim - Wikipedia · Église Notre-Seigneur-de-la-Bonne-fin de Salvad… · checked 18 Oct 2026

Where
Largo Do Bonfim, S/N, Senhor Do Bonfim

Plan from here: A day out →

Questions and answers

Where is the Basílica do Senhor do Bonfim in Salvador?

It stands on a hill on the Itapagipe peninsula, in the lower town of Salvador.

Do children tie ribbons at the Basílica do Senhor do Bonfim?

Yes. Children outside the church tie a ribbon on your wrist for a small fee and ask you to make a wish.

Is the Basílica do Senhor do Bonfim a minor basilica?

Yes. Pope Pius XI raised the church to that rank in 1927.

Is the Basílica do Senhor do Bonfim part of a UNESCO site?

Yes. The old town of Salvador became a UNESCO site in 1985, and the basilica is part of it.

How invme works
  1. See who's going — faces, not ticket counts.
  2. Write to someone who shares your interests — no swipes, no matches, no paywall.
  3. Pick the event or the place to meet at — and go together.
Join free

Reviews on invme

Sign in to review
Comment
Loading comments…
Own this place? Claim it → Is this your place? Get the badge for your website