Candelária Church
Candelária is one of the oldest and most beautiful churches in Rio
Located in the heart of central Rio de Janeiro one will find Candelária Church or Igreja da Candelária in Portuguese. This beautiful old Roman Catholic church has a rich history and due to no fault of its own became associated with one of the darkest days in Rio's history.
When you first arrive at Candelária you will be able to stand well back from the front and get some great photos, as there is a plaza that extends well out in front of the church. The architectural design of the outside has considerable Baroque influences and is constructed of stone. The inside is more Neoclassical and features plenty of marble and brightly coloured stained glass along with beautiful paintings on the ceilings and the underside of the large limestone dome.
An interesting fact that was crucial to the construction of the church was a promise made by a husband and wife Antonio Martins da Palma and Leonor Goncalves, during a terrifying ship voyage to Rio de Janeiro where a severe storm nearly destroyed their ship. Loyal to Our Lady of Candelaria, they made a promise to build a church in her honour if they arrived safely. They constructed a small Chapel on the present site in 1609. Construction of the present day church began in 1775 to replace the old chapel and continued through until late in the 1800s. The story of its origin is told in some the paintings inside the church.
At the beginning we mentioned the association of the church with a tragic event in Rio's history; an event there is a good chance you are familiar with known as the Candelária massacre. The sad event took place in July of 1993 when a group of men that included some military police officers drove up to the outside of the church at night and open fired on as many as seventy homeless street kids killing eight of them. These kids slept in the area around the church and hung out there during the day, a result of the church providing a variety of supportive services to as many of them as it could. Since these kids had little means, many were involved in petty crimes to help them survive and they had frequent scraps with the police which led up to this tragic event. Only a few men ended up convicted for this crime and there were more related deaths to follow including when one of the survivors took a hostage on a Rio city bus nearly 7 years afterwards. This event was documented in the film Bus 174.
When you are admiring this beautiful old Church and landmark, remember that the children were there because it provided one of the few sources of support they could find at the time. There is much more one can learn about this tragic event.
Facts For Your Visit
Fee: NoCandelária Church Hours:
Opening hours may differ on holidays
- Monday: 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM
- Tuesday: 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM
- Wednesday: 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM
- Thursday: 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM
- Friday: 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM
- Saturday: Closed
- Sunday: 10:30 – 11:30 AM
Address: Praça Pio X, s/n - Centro, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 20040-020, Brazil
Phone: (21) 2233-2324
Official Website: Candelária Church
Candelária Church Reviews
Rated out of 5
Extremely beautiful and impressive Roman Catholic church, with baroque style. It is in very good shape and well maintained. Located in the core downtown area of the Rio de Janeiro city
Paulo Vieira - 4 months ago
Very good, free to visit.
Not open at 9 am , when we went there next day. Close at before 5pm, not busy. We'll worth visiting.
Very old and excellent.
Visit it if you have time
Dip - 5 months ago
This is a classic Church with Baroque and Renaissance details in the very center of RJ. Twin bell towers at the front facade facing a small plaza and big central dome.
It dates back to 17c with rich marble interiors and many fantastic stained glass
Dejan Braki - 6 months ago
Not as ornate like other old churches in downtown, but majestic both inside and outside. The most unique thing about the cathedral to me is the chairs: leather-covered with ornate pattern, can't be cheap and surprised they leave it for daily use. After visiting so many churches in the Americas and Europe, these seats are the most impressive.
L L - 7 months ago
[View from the Rio Samba Bus] The Church of Our Lady of Candelaria is a Classic and traditional church in the Central Part of Rio de Janeiro. A very historical church which includes a sad and unfortunate incident that occurred outside the church in the early 1990s.
Normandy C Jr - 9 months ago
Directions
| Metro Line | Nearest Station | Walking Time |
|---|---|---|
| Line 1 -Orange | Uruguaiana | 5 Minutes |
How to get to Candelária Church by Metro
Exit Metro Line 1 at Uruguaniana Station and walk straight east along Av. Presidente Vargas until you get to the church.
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Accommodations near Candelária Church:
Photo Gallery
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Looking upside into the dome of Candelaria Church cc licensed Wikimedia photo by Halley Pacheco de Oliveira -
Candelaria Church Alter cc licensed Wikimedia photo by Halley Pacheco de Oliveira -
Photo Credit: Lua Pramos - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: mafo souza - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: Leandro returns - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: Edmir Silvestre - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: Francisco Anzola - cc license via Flickr
