Basilica of the Immaculate Conception of Salvador (Conceição da Praia)

This baroque church in Salvador's lower town stands near the waterfront below the Lacerda Elevator and is dedicated to the patron saint of Bahia. Its stone was cut in Portugal and shipped across the Atlantic to be assembled in the eighteenth century, an unusual prefabricated origin. The interior is decorated with painted ceilings, gilded carving and marble imported from Europe. Each December it hosts a major procession mixing Catholic devotion with Afro-Brazilian tradition, filling the streets.