Church of Saint Peter of the Clergymen

The Church of Saint Peter of the Clergymen is an 18th-century Roman Catholic church in Salvador, Bahia. It was built by the Brotherhood of Saint Peter starting around 1709 and is part of the Historic Center of Salvador UNESCO World Heritage Site. The church has a single nave with lateral corridors and tribunes, and its interior decor blends Rococo and Neoclassical styles.

Don't miss

• High altar designed after Italian Jesuit artist Andrea Pozzo, with polychromatic marble and an image of Our Lady of the Conception at center.
• Life-size statue of Saint Peter in full papal costume to the right of the high altar, and an image of Saint Paul to the left.
• Ceiling painting of the Confession of Peter from the Book of Matthew, attributed to José Rodrigues Nunes, set within a medallion with gilt tracings.
• Triangular vaults above each tribune opening with oval paintings of early benefactors of the church.
• Images of Santa Luzia, Saint Amaro, Saint Eligius, and Our Lady of the Gate of Heaven.

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit Church of Saint Peter of the Clergymen

Cheapest way inPrivate City Tour in Salvador4.8★ · 115 travelers~4 hoursFree cancellationFrom$120 per personSee dates →Best full dayHistorical African oriented City Tour4.9★ · 54 travelers5-6 hoursFree cancellationFrom$190 per personSee dates →Private & flexiblePrivate Full-Day African Oriented Salvador Upper & Lower City5★ · 47 travelers7-8 hoursFree cancellationFrom$140 per personSee dates →

Getting there

Know before you go

• The church opens directly onto the Terreiro de Jesus, with a small stone church yard enclosed by an iron fence.
• The feast days of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29 and 30 are likely the important celebration days of the church.

A bit of history

The Brotherhood of Saint Peter is one of the oldest in Brazil, established in 1553. The brotherhood built a hermitage and small chapel in the late 17th century, which was demolished in 1708 when the Jesuits needed the site. Construction of the current church began in 1709. The church housed traveling priests passing through Salvador from its early history.