Church of São Francisco
Igreja de São Francisco
A plain Gothic exterior hides Baroque gilded wood carvings covered with about 100 kg of gold leaf, plus underground burial vaults.
The Church of São Francisco was begun in the 14th century. Its exterior is simple Gothic, but inside it is a blaze of gold. Its 18th-century gilded wood carvings (talha dourada) cover nearly every wall, column and altar. It is said to have used about 100 kg of gold leaf, and the altar of the Tree of Jesse is the finest. Admission is about €10, including the museum across the way and the underground burial vaults, where numbered ancient tombs and an ossuary can be seen. Photography is prohibited inside the church. It sits uphill in the Ribeira district, right next to the Palácio da Bolsa, so both can be visited together.
Opening hours
Approx. 9:00 am–7:00 pm (until 5:30 pm in winter)
Nearby sights
- Palácio da Bolsa
- Ribeira
- Teleférico de Gaia
- Clérigos Church & Tower
- Porto Cathedral
- Livraria Lello
- Dom Luís I Bridge
- Igreja do Carmo & Igreja dos Carmelitas