CATEDRAL METROPOLITANA NOSSA SENHORA APARECIDA

Like all great men, the wonderful Francophile and Francophone architect Oscar Niemeyer is full of paradoxes. Niemeyer, a lover of freedom and equality, was a Communist (it was he who drew up the plans for the Communist Party headquarters on Place du Colonel Fabien in Paris). Yet it was he, the materialist, who also drew up the plans for the cathedral. The first monument to be built near the Place des Trois-Pouvoirs, opposite the Esplanade des Ministères, Niemeyer's cathedral evokes an inverted crown open to the sky. Inaugurated at the same time as the capital in 1960, the building's futuristic curves were not really completed until 1970. It was dedicated to Our Lady of Aparecida, patron saint of Brazil. Hyperboloid in shape, its structure consists of sixteen 40 m-high concrete arches curved around a circle and separated by stained-glass windows. The interior is vast and bright, white and blue. The interior, a 60-meter-diameter oval, can accommodate up to 4,000 people. Its walls feature a panel painted in 1977 by Athos Bulcão. The current green, blue, white and brown stained glass windows were designed in 1990 by artist Marianne Peretti. The Stations of the Cross are the work of the renowned Emiliano Di Cavalcanti. The three angels fluttering beneath the vault, created by sculptor Alfredo Ceschiatti, are a real eye-catcher. Forged in aluminum and suspended by steel cables, they measure between 2.20 m and 3.40 m and weigh between 100 and 300 kg. Also noteworthy is the altar, a copy of the altar at the Aparecida do Norte sanctuary in São Paulo.

In front of the cathedral, the four bronze sculptures represent the evangelists Luke, Matthew, John and Mark. Like the angels, they are the work of Alfredo Ceschiatti. Next to the evangelists, the monumental forked bell tower has been separated from the cathedral. Its four bells of varying sizes were donated by the Spanish crown and are rung every hour.

The baptistery: when visiting the cathedral, make sure you also visit the baptistery adjacent to the cathedral. A rather enigmatic oval construction erected separately from the nave, it was inaugurated in 1977. Its dark-colored floor allows the eye to rise to the central vault, from which the light of the sky emanates. Athos Bulcão's typical tiles line the walls and complement the work magnificently.