Pernambuco Museum of Sacred Art (Maspe)

The memories of Olinda’s history and culture are kept at some noteworthy museum. Inaugurated in 1977, the Pernambuco Museum of Sacred Art (Maspe) is housed in one of the oldest buildings in Vila de Olinda, the former City Hall. In 1676, when Olinda was elevated to the status of a city, the building served as the Episcopal Palace for its first Bishop, Monsignor Estevão Brioso de Figueiredo. The permanent collection of the museum, which started with a hundred pieces provided by the Archdiocese of Olinda and Recife, brings together objects of worship such as popular and procession sacred statues, reliquaries, custodies and religious paintings. One of the highlights of this collection is the collection of erudite, polychrome and gilded antique images from the 16th century.