The city is home to the third largest Catholic festival in Brazil, known as the Romaria (Portuguese for "Procession" or "Pilgrimage") of Bom Jesus drawing as many as 800,000 visitors or "Romeiros" to the city annually. For this reason, the city is known as "Capital Baiana da Fé" (The Bahian Capital of Faith).
Bom Jesus da Lapa is distinguished by other cities in the region by its Gothic style wall and nearby caves.
History
It is one of the older towns in Brazil being founded in 1693. It did not reach the status of city until 1953. The name means "Good Jesus of the Grotto." This might relate to a nearby cavern that naturally had "church-like" structures so was converted to a chapel. The chapel began in the seventeenth century and is a significant pilgrimage site in Brazil.[4][5]
Bom Jesus da Lapa has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSh) characterized by high temperatures throughout the year. The city experiences a distinct dry season from May to September, with minimal rainfall during these months. The wet season extends from October to April, with the heaviest rainfall occurring in December.[6]