August 19, 2007

Veneravel Ordem Terceira de Sao Francisco da Penitencia

This is the church Blake and I got married this last March. It's such a long story, but I just fell in love with it the moment I laid my eyes on it...

It's one of the oldest churches in Rio and in Brazil -- construction began in 1657 -- and has one of the largest and most important art collections in Brazil. It's the symbol of the Portuguese Baroque style in the country: the facade is very plain and ordinary, but the interior is absolutely breath-taking. Among those who contributed to the decoration of the interior, which was completed only in 1773, were Manuel and Francisco Xavier de Brito, two leading Portuguese sculptors and woodcarvers. Both of them had very similar styles - the "Brito style" - with decorative forms which influenced Aleijadinho and other masters of Brazilian Baroque. The ceiling of the choir has the earliest trompe-l'oeil painting in Brazil (1732-36), the work of Caetano da Costa Coelho, who later painted the ceiling of the nave in the same style.

It is a true gem hidden in downtown Rio and unknown to most of us cariocas born and raised in Rio. The church remained closed for a number of years and recently reopened -- surprisingly -- without much fanfare. Since then only a handful weddings have taken place there... Ours being one of them!










2 comments:

Srta Pooh e Chef Mota said...

Oie
não lembro como encontrei seu blog...mas estou lendo aos poucos e acompanhando sua vida...espero que não se importe...fico quieta, lendo...eu havia começado a ler os posts atuais mas resolvi ir no inicio do blog pra ter mais o que ler e entender ou pelo menos tentar...só quero que saiba que meus pensamentos saum positivos, cheios de carinhos, energia positiva msm a vc...
agora vou continuar a ler...
Uma linda semana e que seja sempre feliz ^^
bjinhos carinhosos

Dani said...

Muito obrigada mesmo pelo carinho! Adoro receber visitas... O blog anda meio negligenciado por conta da agitacao -- boa -- que tem tomado conta da minha vida. Desejo o mesmo a voce: muita felicidade e que Deus guie sempre seu caminho!
Bjs