Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Praia

The Basilica of Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Praia features two distinctive yellow bell towers that rise above the stone-paved square. Built entirely of lioz limestone brought from Portugal, the stone arrived as ballast in cargo ships. Construction took over a century, finishing in seventeen sixty-five. During the colonial era, this church served as the primary landing point for goods and people arriving from Europe. Travelers stepped off their ships directly into the shadow of these heavy, imported stone walls.