Saint Sebastian's Cathedral is an unusual church in the very center of Rio de Janeiro. Church of the Candelaria in Rio de Janeiro Myths and facts

The Church of Candelaria is a Catholic church in the center of Rio de Janeiro. According to the legend about the origin of this church, at the beginning of the seventeenth century, during a storm nearby, a ship carrying Antonio Martins Palma and Leonor Goncalves almost sank. The travelers vowed to build a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Candelaria if they survived. The ship landed safely in Rio de Janeiro and the surviving sailors built a small church in 1609.

The Candelaria Chapel was reformed into a parish in 1710, which created the need for its expansion. The author of the reconstruction project was John Francis Rocio, a Portuguese military engineer. Work began in 1775, using stone from the Katete region. The unfinished temple with one nave was consecrated in 1811, the ceremony was attended by the future ruler of Portugal, João VI.

After some time, two more naves were completed. The facade and general plan are reminiscent of works of the Portuguese Baroque. The work was carried out by several architects at different times; the dome was finally completed in 1877. Upon completion of construction, the temple was the tallest building in the city.

In 1878, they began decorating the interior of the church, following the Italian canons of the neo-Renaissance. Polychrome Italian marble was used to cover the walls and columns, which was a slight departure from the colonial style. The painting inside was carried out by various masters under the guidance of the Brazilian artist, professor at the Academy of Fine Arts, João Zeferino da Costa. In 1901, beautiful bronze doors by Teixeira Lopes were installed at the entrance.

The Temple of Our Lady of Candelaria is one of the main artistic works of nineteenth-century Brazilian architecture, a wonderful example of the combination of neoclassical and eclectic styles. Its facade, harmoniously complemented by different window profiles, two towers and a classical pediment, is a true masterpiece of the eighteenth century.

The Church of Saint Rita is a small chapel overlooking the bay, located in the historical center of Paraty. The chapel was decorated in a sophisticated Baroque style.

The chapel is considered a real treasure of Paraty, which is admired every day not only by visiting tourists, but also by local residents. Chapel of Saint Rita is still as beautiful as it was decades ago, its appearance surprises and makes legends. In every kiosk you can find postcards with a view of the chapel for sale. Chapel of Saint Rita is a favorite place for wedding events. However, there is also a sad point - the temple is currently being destroyed and needs repairs.

Recently, the church is increasingly closed, but you can admire the beauty of the architectural structure from the pier or the street closest to it.

Church of Our Lady of Candelria

The Church of Our Lady of Candelria is a church located near Pre Vargas and Rio Branco. It is a beautiful historical monument. The massive doors of the building are decorated with carvings. There are many works of art inside the church, the earliest ones dating back to the 18th century.

Tourists are especially impressed by the bronze figurines and the interior decoration of the building. Massive brown wood staircases and stained glass windows are the main highlight of this church. The ceiling of the temple is decorated with beautiful handmade paintings.

In front of the church there are a lot of drawings related to the tragic events of the Candelria massacre in 1993. The marble silhouettes carved at the entrance to the church leave an indelible impression in the memory of tourists.

First Church of Our Lady

First Church of Our Lady of the Remedies is an architectural and religious landmark of Paraty, located in the historical center of the city. The church is made in traditional Brazilian style and surprises with a richly decorated facade.

The church was built among picturesque trees, has a facade in rich white and brown colors, and the original round windows harmoniously combine with traditional rectangular ones. However, it is worth not only admiring the appearance of the building, but also appreciating the interior decoration. The interior of the church is simple and beautiful in design - it embodies all the skill of talented craftsmen. The choral singing coming from the depths of the structure is breathtaking and uplifting. Anyone can visit the church during the service, and then communicate with the temple servants.

A visit to the Paraty Church can be one of the most unforgettable experiences during your trip to Paraty.

Church of San Francisco de Paula

The Church of São Francisco de Paula is located in Largo de São Francisco de Paula, the historical center of the city of Rio de Janeiro. This is one of the largest and most beautiful temples in the city, which represents the evolution of colonial architecture.

The construction of this temple began in 1759 on the initiative of the brothers of the Third Order of St. Francis and was completed in 1801. The construction of the temple was carried out through donations from townspeople. Throughout its history, the church has been restored and remodeled many times.

The interior of the temple is decorated with decorative carvings. The nave, with neoclassical decorations, was created in 1855 by the artist Mario Bragaldi. In the same year, the church was inaugurated in the presence of Emperor Pedro II and Empress Teresa Cristina.

Church of San Francisco Penitencia

The Church of San Francisco Penitencia is a church that is an ancient architectural monument. The building was built in 1757 by the Minims Order of St. Francis Paula, founded in 1756. The seemingly unremarkable temple inside impresses with its splendor. The walls and ceiling are richly decorated with gold, and the beautiful frescoes on the windows give the church an inner glow.

The beautiful altar installed in the center of the temple is often decorated with fresh white flowers. The prayer benches are made exclusively by hand and are complemented with carved designs. The entire interior of the temple is decorated with frescoes, mosaics and sculptures in the Baroque style, which indicates the wealth and grandeur of the temple.

Rosario Church

The Church of the Rosary (Igreja do Ros rio) is located in the ancient square named after General Tiburciu. It is one of the favorite temples in Rio de Janeiro, built at the beginning of the 18th century.

The structure is located in a square surrounded by numerous trees and flowering plants, which can be admired from the steps of the temple. The Rosario Church is made in the shape of a square, and its design uses white and gold colors, making the building unique. Opposite the temple there are benches where people can relax and enjoy a beautiful view of the church even in the evening - in the dark, lanterns and lighting are turned on here.

It is believed that the remains of dead slaves are walled up within the walls of the Rosario Church, but the authenticity of this fact has not yet been proven. The interior of the temple contains antiques from the 18th century: portals, lamps, a wooden altar and icons. Rosario is currently protected by state law.

Church of Our Lady of Matrice Conceição

The Church of Our Lady of Matrice Conceição is a temple that was built in 1749. The church is famous for the fact that it houses one of the most famous statues of Our Lady of Conceição, who is the patroness of the city. Her arrival in the church dates back to 1632 and a mysterious story is connected with the appearance of the statue.

Initially, the statue was heading to a completely different place, but when the ship reached the Angra region, the weather deteriorated greatly and a storm arose at sea, which did not allow the sailors to continue their journey. The captain regarded this storm as a sign from God and decided to deliver the statue to the Shrine of Our Lady of Matrice Conceição. Only after this can everyone continue their journey. It was from those times that the temple became very visited.

Gloria Church

Not far from Flamengo Park in Rio de Janeiro you can see the snow-white Gloria Church rising on a hill. This building has a long history, dating back to 1671, when the lonely hermit Antonio Caminha built a small chapel here and placed a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary next to it. Antonio carved this statue himself.

There is a legend that King John V allegedly ordered a copy of the statue of the Virgin Mary to send it to Portugal as a gift. But the ship with the statue sank, and the waves brought the statue back to the Brazilian shores. Since then, this statue has been the main object of worship in the Church of Gloria.

The shape of the Gloria Church is truly unique - thanks to two octagonal towers, the building resembles an "infinity" sign.

Church of Carmo

The Monastery do Carmo is located on a famous landmark in Rio de Janeiro - Quinzio de Novembro Square. There is a church at the monastery; the foundation of both buildings was made in 1585.

The convent of Convento do Carmo survived important events in the history of Brazil - the declaration of independence and the invasion of the Dutch. The past has left an indelible mark on the architecture of the building, but restoration work has managed to preserve its former grandeur. Do Carmo, like other buildings on Quinzi di Novembro, was built in the neoclassical style.

The exterior of the 16th-century building is strikingly beautiful: in the very center of the stone structure there is a garden with a fountain, flower beds and palm trees that complement the architectural monument. And from the arched gates of Carmo you can enjoy the wonderful pyramid fountain built in 1789 and other architectural monuments.

Church of Candelaria

The Church of Candelaria begins its history in 1609. Due to a terrible storm, the Spanish ship of the same name was in distress near the Brazilian coast. The crew of the ship did not believe in salvation and prayed to God for a miracle. And this happened - the wind changed, and the ship "Candelaria" was able to reach the ground. The surviving sailors built a beautiful wooden chapel to commemorate their rescue.

By the mid-eighteenth century, the wooden chapel had fallen into disrepair. The Brazilian government allocated a large sum of money for the construction of a new temple, which at the time of completion was the tallest building in Rio de Janeiro.

The church building is made in the shape of a Latin cross. The interior of the church is decorated with colorful stained glass windows and bronze pulpits in the Art Nouveau style.

Sights of Rio de Janeiro

Church of Candelaria in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) - description, history, location. Exact address and website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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The Candelaria in Rio de Janeiro is an important Roman Catholic church, a superb example of Baroque architecture and a historically remarkable building with a stunning interior. The church was built over many decades: the process began in 1775, and it was completed only in the 19th century. Due to such a long construction period, the appearance of Candelaria turned out to be a mixture of several architectural styles: its façade is Baroque, and in the interior you can see neoclassical and neo-Renaissance elements.

When the ship Candelaria almost sank during a storm on the way to Rio, a group of Spaniards sailing on it built a small chapel in honor of the miraculous rescue. This happened around 1609. In the second half of the 18th century. the chapel needed to be restored, which was undertaken by the military engineer Francisco João Roscio in 1775. The still unfinished church was consecrated in 1811. The remarkable main façade of the building dates back to this period.

The dome and its eight statues were made from Lisbon stone and transported to Brazil by ship.

After 45 years, the stone vaults of the church were completed, but there was still no dome in the center. It appeared only in 1877 after the involvement of several architects and a long discussion. The dome and its eight statues were made from Lisbon stone and transported to Brazil by ship. After completion of work on it, Candelaria became the tallest building in the city.

In general, it can be noted that the architecture of Candelaria is strongly reminiscent of the Mafra Cathedral and the Estrella Basilica in Lisbon. The Baroque style is particularly evident in the windows, doors and two towers of the central facade, while neoclassicism is expressed in its two-dimensionality and triangular pediment. Dark granite in the design of windows, columns and other elements of the facade contrasts with sections of the wall made of bleached stone, which is quite typical for colonial churches in Rio.

During the work, the church gradually turned from a single-nave to a three-nave, and after 1878 its interior began to be decorated in a neo-Renaissance style. The magnificent columns and walls were lined with Italian marble of various colors and were decorated with rich sculptural decoration. Brazilian artist João Zeferino da Costa was hired to paint the nave and interior of the dome. He and his students depicted the stages of church construction in six panels on the vault in the central part of the building.

Near the church in 1993, tragic events took place that went down in the history of modern Brazil under the name “Candelaria massacre.”

Other notable elements of the Candelaria's interior include the main altar, designed by the Brazilian architect Archimedes Memoria; numerous stained glass windows made of German glass; bronze doors of the main entrance by Portuguese sculptor Antonio Lopez; and two imposing Art Nouveau bronze pulpits by the Portuguese Rodolfo Pinto do Couto (1931).

In the center of Rio de Janeiro there is a very unusual building, from a distance it looks like some kind of industrial building. However, up close, this huge “pyramid” turns out to be nothing more than a church! St. Sebastian's Cathedral is one of the city's most popular attractions. We invite you to look inside the cathedral to see what it is like.

This building has stood in Rio de Jaireiro for 37 years. The cathedral took 12 years to build and was dedicated to the patron saint of the city, Saint Sebastian. The building bears little resemblance to classical church buildings, as the architect Edgar Fonseca wanted the building to be similar to the Mayan pyramids in Mexico - a huge truncated cone with a diameter of 106 meters on the inside and 96 meters in height, in the main hall there is seating for 5,000 people, or 20,000 standing parishioners. The numbers are truly impressive.

On four sides of the church, from the floor to the very ceiling of the building, there are rectangular stained glass windows (each 64 meters in height), which is why in sunny weather the church room shimmers with multi-colored sun “bunnies.” The church tries to use natural light as much as possible: in the very center of the hall, in the shape of a cross, there is another window through which the main part of the light enters.

The Cathedral of Saint Sebastian (Catedral Metropolitana de Sao Sebastiao) also has an underground room. It houses the Museum of Sacred Art, where you can see various historical and religious exhibits, including sculptures, paintings, and church paraphernalia that were used at the baptism of the heirs of the Portuguese royal family.

The Church of Candelaria was at one time the largest and most majestic church, and to this day it still dazzles with its architecture. Candelaria is also known as the site of important events in the history of Rio de Janeiro.

Myths and facts

The legend of the founding of the church tells the story of the Spanish ship Candelaria, which one day was caught in a terrible storm. The sailors vowed to build a beautiful chapel if they managed to survive. The storm subsided and the sky brightened, and, having arrived in Rio de Janeiro, they began to fulfill their promise. Thus, in 1609, a small chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Candelaria arose.

By the 18th century, the dilapidated wooden chapel was in need of repair and Portuguese military engineer Francisco João Rocio was commissioned to build a new stone church. The inauguration of the Candelaria Church took place in 1811 in the presence of King John VI of Portugal, who was in Brazil at the time. At the time of completion, it was the tallest structure in Rio de Janeiro.

The history of the temple is overshadowed by the events of the 20th century. In 1993, during urban protests that attracted more than a million people, the area around the church became the site of massacres, drawing global attention to the issue of police brutality against street children in Brazil.

What to see

The church building has the shape of a Latin cross with a dome over the transept. The main façade features contrasting dark granite windows and columns against white walls in a typical Rio colonial style. The entire ensemble is reminiscent of the architecture of the Mafre monastery.

Candelaria's attractions include the high altar by a Brazilian architect, the colorful bronze doors of the main entrance with bas-reliefs, and two monumental Art Nouveau bronze pulpits by Portuguese sculptors.

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