The Santa Casa da Misericórdia, a Portuguese Catholic institution, opened its first "branch" in Brazil in 1549. Their rammed-clay hospital was replaced in 1697 by this imposing complex built around two cloisters and a church. It houses a museum where you can get an idea of the prestige of this institution financed by donations from colony notables (who can be seen in the gallery of portraits). The guided tour also takes in the sacristy, richly furnished and decorated, a loggia inlaid with marble and affording views over the bay, and a Salão Nobre lined with azulejos.