Aparecida is a Brazilian
municipality in the state of
São Paulo. It is located in the fertile valley of the River
Paraíba do Sul
The Paraíba do Sul (), or simply termed Paraíba, is a river in southeast Brazil. It flows west to northeast from its farthest source at the source of the river Paraitinga to the sea near Campos dos Goytacazes. The river receives its name when ...
on the southern (right) bank. It is part of the
Metropolitan Region of Vale do Paraíba e Litoral Norte. The population is 36,185 (2020 est.) in an area of 121.08 km². The municipality is sometimes referred as Aparecida do Norte.
History
Once part of the municipality of
Guaratinguetá, it was emancipated in 1928.
Geography
Aparecida is located 168 km northeast of
São Paulo and 240 km west of
Rio de Janeiro.
With an average altitude of 544 meters, and elevations varying from 525 to 620 meters, Aparecida has a hot climate with dry winters. Recorded temperatures are a maximum of 35 °C, a minimum of -1 °C and an average of 22 °C.
Main sights
It is home to and named after the
Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida, the
patron saint of Brazil, declared so by
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City fro ...
in 1929.
Pope Benedict XVI delivered a speech here in May, 2007.
It now depends exclusively on tourism generated by the devotees surrounding the statue of the Virgin. Aparecida receives more than 7 million tourists a year making it the most popular religious pilgrimage site in Latin America.
These pilgrims come to visit the Basilica containing the statue of Our Lady of Aparecida. This statue, thought to have been found in the Paraíba River in October 1717, is made of clay and measures 40 centimeters in height. The dark colour was produced by the years of exposure to candles and lamps around the altar. In 1978 it was attacked and reduced to hundreds of fragments which were meticulously put back together by specialists from the
São Paulo Museum of Art
The São Paulo Museum of Art ( pt, Museu de Arte de São Paulo, or ') is an art museum located on Paulista Avenue in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. It is well known for its headquarters, a 1968 concrete and glass structure designed by Lina Bo B ...
.
Aparecida was the source of a proposal endorsed by
Pope Francis in 2020 to establish a collaborative ministry among the local churches of the various South American countries in the Amazon basin, with differentiated priorities.
[''Querida Amazonia'' (a post-synodal apostolic exhortation) by Pope Francis, published by the Vatican on 2 February 2020, §97.]
The city has other attractions besides religious buildings, such as a theme park, aquarium, and museums. Among local events are a Festa de Nossa Senhora Aparecida, on 12 October, which attracts more than 100,000 faithful, and a Festa de
São Benedito
São Benedito is a municipality in the state of Ceará in the Northeast region of Brazil.
Transportation
The city is served by Walfrido Salmito de Almeida Airport.
See also
*List of municipalities in Ceará
This is a list of the municipali ...
with performances by several traditional groups.
References
External links
*
*
Cidade de Aparecida*
Guia Vale do Paraíba - O que fazer em Aparecida
{{Authority control
Municipalities in São Paulo (state)
Populated places established in 1928