Sao Bento Monastery was founded in 1590 by Benedictine monks from Bahia. It was constructed at the request of the inhabitants of the recently founded city of São Sebastião. The monastery has beside it one of the most traditional schools of Brazil: Sao Bento High School, founded in 1858.
The interior of the church is lined with gilded woodcarvings, which range from late-17th century baroque-style carvings to mid-18th century Rococo-style carvings. The Portuguese monk Friar Domingos de Conceição (1643-1718) was the church’s first sculptor: he designed and sculpted part of the roof of the nave and main chapel, which was later substituted.