São CristóvãoThe old Sergipe capital lies 17 km southwest of Aracaju on the road to Salvador, sitting pretty on a little hill and on the shores of a briny lake. Founded by Cristóvão de Barros in 1590, it is Brazil's fourth oldest town, and one of myriad pretty, crumbling towns that dot this part of the country. The colonial centre is unspoilt, with whitewashed mansions, townhouses and churches offset by the oil-paint yellows and blues, green slat-shutters and woodwork. Strings of gorgeous Portuguese buildings make it a good quieter option for a day trip to a colonial town than visiting Cachoiera from Salvador. Alternatively, it's a pleasant spot for a quiet few days in the back of beyond. The town is lively during both the Sergipe pre-Carnaval celebrations and Carnaval itself.
The town attracts very few international tourists yet there are a few interesting sights to explore. The
Museu de Arte Sacra e Histórico de Sergipe
in the
Convento de São Francisco
contains ornate religious objects and heavy furniture from the 17th to 19th centuries. Also worth visiting is the
(same opening hours) in the former
; both are on Praça de São Francisco. On the same square are the churches of
(1627) and the
Orfanato Imaculada Conceição
(1646, permission to visit required from the sisters).
On Praça Senhor dos Passos are the churches of
and
(both built 1739), while on the Praça Getúlio Vargas (formerly Praça Matriz) is the 17th-century
Igreja Matriz Nossa Senhora da Vitória
Also worth seeing is the old
.
Estância is 247 km north of Salvador, on the BR-101, almost midway between the Sergipe- Bahia border and Aracaju. It is one of the oldest towns in Brazil. Its colonial buildings are decorated with Portuguese tiles (none are open to the public). The town's heyday was at the turn of the 20th century and it was one of the earliest places in Brazil to get electricity and a telephone system. Estância is also called 'Cidade Jardim' because of its parks. The month-long festival of
in June is a major event.
This is edited copy from Footprint Handbooks. For comprehensive details (incl address, tel no, directions, opening times and prices) please refer to book or individual chapter PDF
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