Imperial Irmandade da Santa Cruz dos Militares

The Imperial Irmandade da Santa Cruz dos Militares features a facade carved from imported lioz limestone, a distinctive pale stone hauled across the Atlantic from Portugal. This church began as a small wooden chapel built by soldiers in the seventeenth century, but they replaced it with the current stone structure during the mid eighteenth century to honor their brotherhood. The intricate, gilded wood carvings inside were shaped by the master sculptor Mestre Valentim, who spent years refining the ornate chapel details.