Built between 1696 and 1724, this gem of Brazilian baroque, part of the Convento de Santo Antônio, owes its name to the huge quantities of gold (said to total more than 120kg!) covering its elaborately sculpted walls, altars and ceiling. Admission also includes access to the attached Museu de Arte Sacra (Museum of Sacred Art).
Capela Dourada
Recife
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Oficina Cerâmica Francisco Brennand
6.66 MILES
Francisco Brennand, born in 1927 into an Irish immigrant family and now considered Brazil’s greatest ceramicist, revitalized his family’s abandoned tile…
0.39 MILES
This strikingly red museum is a small and modern house of worship for frevo, the quintessential dance of the Recife Carnaval that is easily identified by…
0.52 MILES
Inaugurated in 2014, this bold museum highlights the culture of the sertão (the interior of Pernambuco state), especially as it relates to the godfather…
Concatedral de São Pedro dos Clérigos
0.36 MILES
The 18th-century baroque Concatedral de São Pedro dos Clérigos has been totally renovated and contains incredibly fine stonework and wood carvings…
3.59 MILES
The Museu do Mamulengo has a unique and surprisingly interesting collection of more than 1000 pieces devoted to the traveling puppet shows called…
5.99 MILES
This scenic museum in Várzea, 11km west of central Recife, contains a huge collection of European and Brazilian art, swords, armor and historical…
0.35 MILES
This traffic-free square, lined with bars, restaurants and colorful 19th-century houses, is one of Santo Antônio's more peaceful spots and a good place to…
3.85 MILES
The imposing Igreja da Sé was originally built in 1537. Burnt in 1631, it has been reconstructed four times since, most recently from 1974 to 1984 in a…
Nearby Recife attractions
0.11 MILES
Praça da República contains a formal park with tall trees and a pretty fountain, and includes the Palácio do Campo das Princesas, seat of the Pernambuco…
2. Centro Cultural dos Correios
0.23 MILES
Hosts changing exhibitions and films but the quality of offerings is inconsistent.
0.26 MILES
A striking example of formal baroque architecture, the Madre Deus church serves as a nice contrast to the nearby Paço Alfândega mall. The facade has been…
0.29 MILES
This 19th-century customs house has been converted into a glitzy shopping mall; it's worth dropping in for a coffee or a bite in its food court to check…
5. Museu de Arte Moderna Aloisio Magalhães
0.29 MILES
In a lovely historical house, this museum was the first gallery in Pernambuco and has three floors of changing exhibitions of interesting contemporary art…
0.35 MILES
This traffic-free square, lined with bars, restaurants and colorful 19th-century houses, is one of Santo Antônio's more peaceful spots and a good place to…
0.35 MILES
Though the government could have (and should have) done so much more, the Memorial Chico Science pays brief homage to the work of former Nação Zumbi…
0.35 MILES
A small state-run museum dedicated to Luiz Gonzaga, the father of baião, a traditional music from the sertão (the interior of the Northeast). It has been…