The Santa Casa da Misericórdia, a Portuguese Catholic institution, opened its first "branch" in Brazil in 1549. Its clay brick hospital was replaced in 1697 by this imposing complex built around two cloisters and a church. It now houses a museum which provides an insight into the prestige of this institution financed by donations from prominent settlers (depicted in the gallery of portraits). The guided tour includes the richly furnished and decorated sacristy, a loggia inlaid with marble, commanding views over the bay, and a Salão Nobre lined with azulejos.