Archdiocese of Salvador / Disclosure
The São Francisco de Assis Church in Salvador da Bahia in Brazil.
It was an announced tragedy, and the worst happened on Wednesday afternoon, with the collapse of the ceiling of the São Francisco de Assis Church in the Brazilian city of Salvador da Bahia. One person died and five were injured.
The São Francisco de Assis Church was built in the 17th and 18th centuries, it is considered one of the “seven wonders of Portuguese origin in the world”.
According to the Bahia State Fire Department, a 26 -year -old Brazilian tourist died And at least five people were injured after part of the church ceiling located in Salvador’s historic center collapsed.
The accident happened around 2:30 pm on Wednesday.
“The entire central space of the church gave in. Possibly, some part of this coverage broke and, with the weight of this superior space of the ceiling, Madeira came down, with overweight, ”said Salvador Civil Defense coordinator Sósthenes Macedo.
According to the Brazilian government, the Church of São Francisco de Assis, has Portuguese tilessigned in 1737 by Bartolomeu Antunes de Jesus, who reproduce the birth of St. Francis and “are adorned with wooden carved gold dust and with symbols of Brazilian Baroque“.
A “Church of the Gold”as is also known, it also includes two stone sinks, donated by D. João V, and “several sacred paintings, as well as images of St. Peter of Alcântara, St. Benedict, St. Joseph, Heart of Jesus, Saint Anthony and San Francisco of Assisi on the high altar ”.
“An announced tragedy”
Historian Rafael Dantas referred to the local newspaper that this was “a advertised tragedy“. “For a long time, the situation of deterioration, infiltration and the problems with termites [térmitas] They were already visible, ”he said.
Rafael Dantas also noticed the newspaper that the church is one of the most striking buildings of the Brazilian Baroque, as well as being one of the most historic buildings in the city of Salvador.
