Church of São Frei Pedro Gonçalves and the Varadouro neighborhood

Built starting in 1843 on the Largo de São Frei Pedro Gonçalves, the church is one of the landmarks of the historic Varadouro neighborhood, in the Cidade Baixa.

The cornerstone of the Church of São Frei Pedro Gonçalves was laid on June 5, 1843, on the square that still bears its name today, in the Varadouro neighborhood, near Praça Antenor Navarro. The temple was at one point handed over to the Franciscan Order, which already had a well-established presence in the city since the 16th century. Built with high walls and architectural features typical of the imperial period, the church is today one of the most recognizable religious buildings in the Historic Center.

The building was listed as heritage by the Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute of the State of Paraíba (IPHAEP), which recognized its historical importance for the state. This state-level protection adds to the set of listed properties that characterize Varadouro, an area of Cidade Baixa that concentrates a significant share of João Pessoa's historic buildings, alongside Cidade Alta.

Varadouro is also the neighborhood where, according to recent archaeological research, remains of walls associated with an old fort that would have protected the city in its first centuries were found — discoveries that reinforce the region's importance as the site of João Pessoa's initial occupation, close to Porto do Capim and the Sanhauá River.

Today, the church and the square around it are part of the walking route through the Historic Center, alongside colorful mansions and other properties listed by IPHAEP in the same area, forming a complex that documents different phases of the capital's urban formation.