Church of the Mother of God, Recife, State of Pernambuco, Brazil

Church of the Mother of God, Recife, State of Pernambuco, Brazil

The Church of the Mother of God is the second largest Jesuit building in Amazonia. The missionaries who settled in the region of the town of Vigia began their activities in the early years of the 18th century, when they established their first estates and missions there. In 1730, Father José Lopes, the Provincial of the Society of Jesus, received permission to gather together eight missionaries in one house. In 1732, royal permission was obtained to establish the college there.

The building of the church began in 1734. It is one of the most interesting buildings of the Society of Jesus in Brazil, especially because of its imposing side verandas on the upper floor, decorated with twelve thick Tuscan columns supporting the church’s wooden roof. G. Bazin says that it is a unique case in Brazil, although it is possible to associate these verandas with Jesuit buildings in India. The church has a single nave, which is a typical feature in Jesuit buildings, but instead of the intercommunicating side chapels there are two external corridors, on the upper floor of which are the verandas. These filter the sunlight that illuminates the nave through a series of windows.

The frontispiece of the church is composed of a central body flanked by two towers with belfries. The central body, corresponding to the nave, has three doors surmounted by balcony windows. A cornice separates this body from the pediment, composed of symmetrical volutes which are reminiscent of those of the Church of Saint Alexander in Belém. The sacristy contains furniture and paintings from the 18th century. The church was listed by IPHAN on 14th December, 1954.

Visit Brazil. Epic Brazil Adventure Route © All Rights Reserved | Monika & Simon Newbound 2017