Franciscan Order Launches Fundraiser for Salvador's 'Golden Church' Restoration After Collapse
The Franciscan Order has initiated a fundraising campaign, "Abrace São Francisco," to aid in the restoration of the historic "Golden Church" in Salvador's Historic Center. This effort follows a tragic ceiling collapse in February 2025, which resulted in the death of a 26-year-old tourist and injured five others. While emergency repairs have stabilized the structure, preventing further collapse, the church remains closed. The National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (Iphan) has allocated approximately R$ 20 million from the Growth Acceleration Program (PAC) for the initial restoration phase, but the total estimated cost for this stage is R$ 61 million. The Franciscan Order, as the property owner, is seeking additional funds to bridge this gap. The tourist who died was identified as Giulia Panchoni Righetto from Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo. Tragically, just two days before the incident, a church official had alerted Iphan about ceiling "dilation" and requested an inspection, which was scheduled for the day after the collapse. Despite being a national heritage site, the church, founded in the early 18th century and renowned for its gold-leaf interior, had been suffering from years of structural issues, including worn paint, exposed wiring, and uneven flooring, which were observed during a 2023 visit. Iphan had planned for the architectural and engineering design phase in 2023, with restoration work expected to take two to three years.
The collapse of the Golden Church highlights a systemic challenge in preserving globally significant heritage sites. While government funding is allocated, the substantial funding gap suggests potential misalignments between heritage value, public investment, and the actual cost of maintaining aging, complex structures. The incident raises questions about the efficacy of heritage protection protocols, particularly concerning the timeliness and urgency assigned to structural integrity reports submitted by site custodians. Moving forward, a more robust framework for proactive risk assessment and accelerated response mechanisms for heritage structures, especially those with high visitor traffic, is crucial. This could involve tiered funding models, public-private partnerships, and leveraging advanced diagnostic technologies to predict and mitigate structural failures before they result in tragedy and extensive restoration needs.
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