Founded in 1590 by a pair of Benedictine monks, the Sao Bento Monastery rests in downtown Rio de Janeiro on St. Benedict's Hill. The humble exterior of the church masks the finely crafted gold leaf gilding that covers the inside, a style popular during the Baroque and Rococo periods. The church pays honor to its patron, Saint Benedict, as well as Our Lady of Conception, and houses seen side chapels for the Catholic lay brotherhoods.
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