São Francisco Square in the Town of São Cristóvão
Cristvo was venerated by the Portuguese (in a era behind Portugal, Spain and the Naples kingdoms were asleep the deem of Philip II of Spain) as one of the first colonization attempts in Sergipe, which makes the city the fourth oldest one in Brazil. In 1590 the Portuguese sent Cristvo de Barros to both demean the region to colonial explore and mood a safe trading harbor together in the midst of Salvador and Pernambuco. De Barros speedily and uncompromisingly defeated the local population, which consisted of people of infected Tupinamb and French descent who maintained a trade in Brazilwood. As a metaphor of his victory De Barros founded a little village named for his patron saint, Saint Christopher.
The campaigning on of the town followed the Portuguese urban model, that is, in two plans: the well along town, where the headquarters of the civil and religious powers are; and belittle town, once the harbour, the factories, and the low pension population. The economy of So Cristvo initially depended in credit to the subject of the activate of cattle herds for meat, milk, and leather. The conformity was no investigate destroyed by the Dutch in 1637. Tobacco and sugarcane plantations were intended in the 17th century, and remained into the adopt looking times.So Cristvo was the make a clean breast capital until 1855, following the provincial president Incio Joaquim Barbosa moved the capital to Aracaju.
In 1967, the city was designated a national monument to maintenance its colonial architecture.Among the important sacred buildings are the Church and Convent of So Francisco (which date from 1693), the Santa Casa de Misericordia (17th century Sisters of Mercy hospital), the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception of Mary (1751), the Mother Church of Our Lady of Victory (1766) and several appendage important churches from the 18th century, including the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary of Colored Men, the Church of Our Lady of Amparo, and the Monastery of So Bento. The religious sites of So Cristvo remain an important center of Roman Catholic pilgrimage in Brazil. The Museum of Sacred Art of the Church and Convent of So Francisco, is considered the third most important in Brazil.
