sao francisco church (igreja de s francisco)

There are amazing gold sculptures, definitely an awe dropping scene. The underground cemetery was a special place to take a look too (a bit creepy).

You have to pay to get into the church, but it's absolutely gorgeous and so worth it. I was a little disappointed by their museum and catacombs, but definitely take the chance to go inside the incredible and ornately-decorated São Francisco Church!

the location of this has a lot of stairs and hills but it is worth it, the church is beautiful inside and out.

Located one block from the Ribeira, the Sao Francisco Church is the most beautiful church in all of Porto. There are three parts to the Church complex.When you approach the main entrance of the church you will ascend some stairs to a terrace. Stop here and get great panoramic pictures of the River Duoro and part of the Ribeira District. When you reach the top of the stairs, enter the door on the left where you will purchase your entrance tickets. In this building you will visit the museum complex and the catacombs. The catacombs are very unique as you will find the burial place of church parishoners and servants from the last several centuries. Make sure you visit all hallways as there are windows in the floor that provide some views of rooms filled with bones.Once you leave the museum complex you will have to show your tickets at the Cathedral to enter. The Gothic Cathedral is very ornate and beautifully decorated, especially in the rear around the organ. Legend has it that all of the Brazilian gold that was in this cathedral was painted over when the Napoleonic forces occupied Portugal. The gold is once again exposed for the enjoyment of tourists.

This church is just up the hill from the Ribeira district and well worth a short visit. There is a fee to pay.

you really must visit this church! it's a pity that you can't make any pictures, but i understand why. it's worth a visit!

A highly ornately decorated church and well worth a visit. The only church we visited that asks for an admission fee but there is a museum attached. Recommended!

There were 6 or 7 altars all of which are fine examples of craftsmanship/artistry. I was surprised when we walked through the catacombs to see a 4-5 foot square plexiglass panel in the floor. When I looked down, I saw hundreds of bones lying on the earth.

Firstly in one of my Porto guide books I saw the pictures of some unbelievably beautiful charge but didn´t know which one was that. Some months later I entered there while waiting the guided tour to the Palacio de Bolsa and was really surprised. It´s almost everything is golden inside and also you can see some antic installations which are really impressive. Think that it´s one of the most beautifull churches I´ve ever seen!

I've read here that this was a beautiful church, and usually churches don't excite me but I must admit this is very impressive. 3€ student ticket. The outside is lovely but inside, the church is marvellous. The Tree of Jesse carving is also very nice.

How anyone could concentrate on the services in this church is hard to imagine since virtually every free surface of the walls, pillars and ceiling is covered in the most intricate carving.

Definitely worth a visit and worth the few euros to get in. Do take your time and have a look through the golden gates inside in the church, some people miss what is hidden inside but it's interesting. Take a look around the museum next door, the staff there are very friendly and have a great knowledge of the pictures, history of Portugal/Brazil (where the gold came from), it's worth seeing the huge meeting room upstairs with more ornate gilding. Note: if you do go down to the graveyard downstairs, it's a bit eerie but quite fascinating. Be prepared to be a bit overwhelmed.

Heard a lot about this place and just had to see it. You have to buy a ticket to go in (about 3,50 euros), you sadly can't take photos but you can sneka a few if you're careful. The church itself was gorgeous, the gold just dazzled the whole place. Sadly it doesn't seem to be used as a proper church, there were no candles, books or locals inside. It was rather empty, which in some ways was lovely.

The inside is breath taking with almost all surfaces covered with decoration from the wealthy family's off Porto. The more wealthy a family the bigger and more elaborate their altar was. Well worth seeing its a beautiful place.

At this point in my three week vacation in Portugal I found myself getting a bit "churched out." Having said that, I'd absolutely recommend a visit to the Sao Francisco church. The gold laid interior is probably the most ornate I've ever seen in all my travels. Visually overwhelming. The Jesse tree is absolutely amazing. Another reviewer here suggested skipping the catacombs, but I can't agree. I found them quite interesting. Some people were put off by an underground chamber filled with human bones, but I was fine with it. That's the point of traveling. Seeing things you won't run into back home. A must-see destination in Porto.