Candelária Church, Rio de Janeiro

Candelária Church, Rio de Janeiro

The Candelária Church, dedicated to Our Lady of Candelária, is an important historical Roman Catholic church, built and adorned over a long period, from 1775 to the late 19th century.

The Candelária Church, dedicated to Our Lady of Candelária, is an important historical Roman Catholic church, built and adorned over a long period, from 1775 to the late 19th century. The Baroque façade with Neoclassical elements was built in 1775 to 1822, whereas the Neo-Renaissance interiors were styled after 1878. Teixeira Lopes’ brass doors lead to the marble interiors, which have a beautiful altar by Archimedes Memoria, frescoes by Brazilian painter João Zeferino da Costa depicting the history of the church, German stained glass, Art Nouveau pulpits by Rodolfo Pinto de Couto, and paintings on the internal dome depicting the Virgin Mary and her virtues - Prudence, Charity, Faith, Hope, Justice, Temperance and Fortitude. It was the site of the outrageous Candelária massacre of 1993, in which 8 young people were killed by a group of men, several of which were members of the police.