The original church and buildings were burned when the Dutch invaded in 1631, but the Benedictine monks managed to save many of the precious artifacts of the monastery. The Dutch withdrew from Brazil in 1654 and the Church and Monastery were completely rebuilt between 1688 and 1692. Further details to the façade were done in the late 1700's.
It is open to the public and for lovers of history, architecture or culture, and is free to visit. read more