Panorama of Our Lady of Chain Church - stock photo

A high resolution panorama of Church Our Lady of Chain. On the left is shown an secret hole that was used to hide slaves in the XVIII century, during Abolitionist Movement in Brazil. The church was originally constructed by order of Captain-General José Gonçalo Garcia Reis in 1720 and completed through the private initiative of the Lemos family in the early 19th century. Historians have put forward several theories regarding the name of the church, given that no previous dedication to Our Lady of Chains is known in Roman Catholic iconography. The theories include: a possible reference to the situation of the Captain-General himself, who arrived in Penedo carrying some of the chains in which he had been held captive in Portugal; a reference to the name of one of the church’s benefactresses, whose full name was Ana Felí- cia da Corrente (chain); and an apparition of the Virgin Mary, the church’s patron saint, swept away by the currents of the River São Francisco to Penedo, close to the place where the church was built. The main façade has baroque features, being composed of a pediment separating two square belfries. The interior, of modest dimensions, comprises an elegant decorative arrangement that also evokes the baroque style. The nave fea- tures Portuguese tiles with Marian motifs and a mosaic floor. The ceiling includes a trompe-l’oeil painting of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The church is notable for its high altar, covered in gold leaf and decorated with gold-leaved pieces, which includes a hidden recess used as a refuge by supporters of the abolitionist movements. Germain Bazin regarded the church, which was listed by IPHAN in 1964, as one of the most beautiful in Brazil. (ByRoseline Oliveira Machado (http://www.hpip.org/Default/en/Homepage/Entry?a=108) In portuguese: Interior da Igreja Nossa Senhora da Corrente. A cavidade no lado esquerdo da parede era utilizada para esconder escravos durante o século XVIII, na época do movimento abolicionista no Brazil.