PELOURINHO:

Pelourinho, the name of an area of Salvador, means “pillory” and in colonial times (fifteenth through eighteenth century) it was a place of horror for slaves taken in its public square to be thrashed.

Pelourinho was described by UNESCO as the most important collection of baroque colonial architecture in the Americas and has been recently restored to its sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth century splendor. It retains a traditional atmosphere rarely found in old cities, as in Bahia tradition lives on, intermingling with its present.
In Pelourinho, a place where the visitor breathes culture and history, we find the House of Jorge Amado Foundation, the City Museum, the Udo Knopf Museum, besides São Francisco Church – which is gold plated.
Pelourinho is also the home of afoxé groups – such as Filhos de Ghandy – and Afro groups – such as Olodum, symbols of Bahia’s traditional culture.

Basilica Cathedral:
Considered an icon of baroque art in Brazil, the cathedral is one of the four temples of Jesuit School. It was built in the beginning of the eighteenth century and it’s all coated with stone; it has two towers with the ceiling made in wood and its front shows Santo Inácio de Loyola, São Francisco Xavier and São Francisco de Borja.
It is of great historical importance and the tourists can see its well conserved patrimony in the Cathedral Museum.

City Museum (Museu da Cidade):

Inaugurated in 1973 and directly related to Gregório de Mattos Foundation, its collection is formed by sculptures, tapestries, ceramics, typical dolls, ritual clothing, rosaries, Orixás’ images in natural size and personal objects from the famous Brazilian poet Castro Alves. Paintings of other local artists such as Presciliano Silva and Mendoça Filho are also in exhibition.

Churches:
Some churches of great historical value are located amidst Pelourinho, Terreiro de Jesus and Carmo: São Pedro dos Clérigos Church, Third Order of São Domingos Church, Church and Convent of São Francisco, Church of the Third Order of São Francisco, Church of Our Lady of Rosário dos Pretos, Santíssimo Sacramento Church and the Third Order of Carmo Church.

House of Jorge Amado Foundation:
The foundation was created in 1987. In this old mansion, there is a permanent exhibit of documents and objects from the most important Brazilian writer, Jorge Amado (1912 - 2001). Many of his books were adapted for TV and cinema such as “Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon” and “Tieta”. It is also possible to see the actual editions of his books that were published in 60 countries along with videos, photographs and sculptures. The visitor can also see the works of his wife, Zélia Gattai, who is also a writer.

Postcard Musem (Museu Tempostal):
Presenting over 30 thousand postcards and photos from Antonio Marcelino’s collection which highlights the Belle Époque series, with water-colored postcards, needlework with plumes and human hair.

Benin’s House Museum:
Inaugurated in 1988, its collection is formed by popular artwork from Cotonou, the Popular Republic of Benin, and temporary expositions of local artists.