Object description

The Church of Our Lady of Santana is an 18th-century church in Rio de Contas, Bahia, Brazil. It dates to the first half of the 18th century, but construction on the structure ended around 1850s. It left the church with a unique appearance of red stone masonry without plaster on the exterior or interior. The façade of the church collapsed in the 1940s due to strong rain, and was reconstructed 6.2 metres back from the original to allow for the placement of supports. The church covers 420 square metres and is set back from the road and the nearby houses. It has a stone church stair that leads to a broad churchyard. The church is part of the Historic Center of Rio de Contas. The church is listed as a federal historic structure as part of the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage.