the decorative
baroque style was widely used to
embellish churches between the 16th and the 18th century.
one of the most important examples of the style in rio de janeiro is the
igreja da terceira ordem de são francisco da
penitência (church of the third order of saint francis
penitent).
the goal of the
abundant designs was to show the sovereignty of the roman
catholic church, who found itself competing with the
increasingly popular protestant movements.