Franciscana do Nordeste). In Salvador, in the second half of the 17th century, some majestic conventual churches were built, whose design is attributed to Friar Macário de São João: the São Bento Monastery and the Santa Tereza Convent, the latter very similar to the Remédios Convent in Evora, Portugal. These churches have a single nave with a dome over the transept, an architectural model little used in colonial Brazil. Religious architecture: Baroque and Rococo (XVIII century) In architecture, the Baroque uses the motifs derived from classical architecture but combines them in a dynamic way, seeking to create illusionistic and scenographic effects on facades and interiors. In Europe, especially in Italy and in Germanic countries, Baroque buildings are characterized by curvilinear and undulating facades and plants. In colonial Brazil, architectural Baroque arrived late, reflecting the late adoption of the style in the metropolis itself. Curves or undulations in facades and floor plans were rare. The importance of carving and painting The interiors of colonial churches should be seen not only in architectural but also decorative terms, as the internal environments were often defined by the harmonious interplay of gilded woodcarving, painting, and azulejos, typical of Portuguese art. Before influencing architecture, the Baroque style arrived in colonial Brazil in the mid-17th century in the form of gilded carved altarpieces of the so-called Portuguese National Style. This style is characterized by altarpieces formed by concentric arches with a dense sculptural load, vegetal motifs and angels, often supported by Solomonic columns. The carving was not restricted to the altarpieces, but often covered all the surfaces of the churches and chapels, and could be enriched by paintings and tiles. An important example is the Mannerist church of the São Bento Monastery in Rio de Janeiro, whose interior was completely covered with Baroque carving from the last decades of the 17th century. Already in the first half of the 18th century, the Golden Chapel of the Third Order of St. Francis in Recife was completed and most of the decoration of the São Francisco Church in Salvador was executed. Both are integrally covered with carving, paintings and tiles. In the 1720s the Portuguese National Style carving was succeeded by the Joanine style, strongly influenced by Roman Baroque, whose pioneering example in Brazil (1726-1740) is the one integrally covering the interior of the Third Order of São Francisco da Penitência Church in Rio de Janeiro. An early