The history of this church is an unusual one. According to which version you believe, construction of the church was funded either by Chico Rei – a Congolese prince sold as a slave in Brazil who then bought back his freedom – or by the gold that had accumulated in a fountain where slave miners rinsed out their hair. It was built (1733-1785) by the architect Manuel Francisco Lisboa. Inside the church there is a magnificent high altar decorated with angels and traditional African marine motifs. It may have lost its chrome, but its splendour endures.