The most beautiful religious buildings Brazil

The origins of the Basilica of Nossa Senhora da Penha date back to the time of the hereditary captaincies, when the Dutch Count Maurice de Nassau, then governor, welcomed the first French Capuchin missionaries to Recife in 1642. The church was rebuilt in 1870, in an eclectic style of Italian inspiration. Inside, there are paintings by the Pernambuco artist Murillo la Greca. As well as the Museu Dom Vital (open on Fridays from 6am to 6pm).

There is another religious building in Iguaçu. A Buddhist temple, with about 120 Chinese statues, was built in 1996 by the Chinese communities of the triple border to provide the region with a place of prayer. It is frequented for its religious use. Among the most remarkable statues, a 7 m high statue of a seated Buddha, and 18 of Buddha's disciples including Kalika, Nantimitolo and Kanakavatsa. A little far from the center, we go there for the stroll, the originality of the place and the sight on the triple border from the heights.

One cannot pass to Iguaçu without seeing the big domes of the mosque Omar Ibn al Khattab. This religious building is at the height of the second Arab community of the country, constituted in majority by Siro-Lebanese. It was built in the early 1980s. The architecture is impressive to the layman and the interior is decorated with arabesques and inscriptions from the Koran. It is necessary to take off one's shoes and wear appropriate clothing. May 12 in Foz is the day of the Muslim community. There is an Arab market and many restaurants in Foz.

These ruins are part of the "circuit of Jesuit missions", which like the region of Foz do Iguaçu straddles three countries: Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil. The ruins of the mission of São Miguel das Missões are remarkable because, although they are in the open air, their ochre sandstone walls are still standing, at least for the most part. The size of this building, built in 1735, is impressive. One can imagine the size of the college, offices and houses that existed here. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the neighboring Argentinean and Paraguayan missions, it is the only Jesuit mission of the Guaraníes that is really worth a visit on the Brazilian side. Built by the Italian Father João Batista Primolli, his plan was to add a second tower as an astronomical observatory, but it was never realized. Inside there is a small and interesting museum with sacred sculptures from the 17th and 18th centuries, coming from the different ruins of the missions in the surrounding area, most of them made of painted wood. The place is enchanting, because here you can admire an exuberant nature where the roots of the trees have invaded the stones of the mission, just like in the temples of Angkor Wat. In the evening, you can watch a sound and light show projected on the façade. As an anecdote, the film Mission, directed in 1994 by Quebecer Roland Joffé, with Robert de Niro, deals with the 150-year history of the Jesuit missions of the Guaranis.

Built between 1953 and 1987, this "stone cathedral", also known as Our Lady of Lourdes of Canela, is the city's main attraction. This imposing building in English Gothic style is dominated by a 67-metre high bell tower with a carillon of 12 Italian bronze bells. Inside, the frescoes painted by the gaucho artist Marciano Schmitz represent the Apparition of the Virgin, the Allegory of the Angels and the Annunciation. You can go up to the bell tower to admire the landscape (entrance fee for the bell tower).

This chapel is one of the splendors of Recife. Built between 1696 and 1724, this chapel, so named for its fine gold woodwork, is one of the best examples of Baroque art in Pernambuco. It houses the Franciscan Museum of Sacred Art as well as the convent and Igreja de Santo Antônio, the former hospital building and the Ordem Terceira house of prayer, which make up the Franciscan complex in Recife. You can see beautiful azulejos.

Dedicated to the patron saint of Recife, the majestic Carmelite Church was built between 1687 and 1767, on the site of the Palácio da Boa Vista, of the German Count João Maurício de Nassau, the governor of Dutch Brazil. The interior of the building is Baroque in style and contains some interesting works. Together with the Convento do Carmo and the Igreja de Santa Teresa da Ordem Terceira, it makes up the Carmelite complex of Recife, initiated a century after the arrival of this order in Brazil.

Built in the 18th century by the brotherhood of the Santissimo Sacramento do Corpo Santo, this church is considered one of the most beautiful in Recife. Built between 1753 and 1790, its interior is richly decorated with sculptures from the late 18th century. The façade of the building is magnificent, with volutes and shells on the portals. In the main altar there is a throne with a crucifix and niches containing the images of Saint Anthony and Saint Sebastian.

Beautiful church completed in 1771. The interior is in rococo style, typical of northern Portugal. The simple facade hides an exuberant interior, rich as the image of Nossa Senhora da Conceição on the high altar and the white and golden rococo sculptures of the central arch. On the choir, one can admire a fresco representing the first battle of the Guararapes against the Dutch. There is also the Padre Roberto Barbalho Museum of Sacred Art.