Built by slaves in 1725, the Igreja Nossa Senhora do Rosário served as the city’s black parish. Its two wooden, gilt-trimmed side altars showcase the talents of early 19th-century wood-carvers. Note also the black St Benedict holding the Christ child to the left of the altar, the stone pulpit carved into the wall, and the pineapple-like chandelier base in the roof – a symbol of prosperity. An old burial ground lies beneath the church floorboards.
