The Church of Saint Francis of Assisi (''Igreja de Sao Francisco de Assis'', commonly known as the ''Igreja da Pampulha'') is a
chapel
A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...
in
Pampulha region of
Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte (, ; ) is the sixth-largest city in Brazil, with a population around 2.7 million and with a metropolitan area of 6 million people. It is the 13th-largest city in South America and the 18th-largest in the Americas. The metropol ...
, in the state of
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais () is a state in Southeastern Brazil. It ranks as the second most populous, the third by gross domestic product (GDP), and the fourth largest by area in the country. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte (literally ...
, southeastern
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. It was designed by the Brazilian architect
Oscar Niemeyer
Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares Filho (15 December 1907 – 5 December 2012), known as Oscar Niemeyer (), was a Brazilian architect considered to be one of the key figures in the development of modern architecture. Niemeyer was ...
in the
organic modern style
The Modern Style is a style of architecture, art, and design that first emerged in the United Kingdom in the mid-1880s. It is the first Art Nouveau style worldwide, and it represents the evolution of the Arts and Crafts movement which was native ...
. It is the first listed modern architectural monument in Brazil and consists of four undulating concrete parabolas with outdoor mosaics. The interior hosts a mural by
Candido Portinari
Candido Portinari (December 29, 1903 – February 6, 1962) was a Brazilian painter. He is considered one of the most important Brazilian painters as well as a prominent and influential practitioner of the neo-realism style in painting.
Portinari ...
, and the exterior features a landscape designed by
Roberto Burle Marx
Roberto Burle Marx (August 4, 1909 – June 4, 1994) was a Brazilian landscape architect (as well as a painter, print maker, ecologist, naturalist, artist and musician) whose designs of parks and gardens made him world-famous. He is accredite ...
.
The curved lines of the church enchanted artists and architects, but scandalized the city's conservative culture. Despite its completion in 1943 and
Juscelino Kubitschek's call for its consecration, the church was not consecrated until 1959. For 14 years, the ecclesiastical authorities, led by Antonio dos Santos Cabral, prohibited the chapel from providing Catholic services.
As of July 2016, the church is classified as a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
, part of the
Pampulha Modern Ensemble
The Pampulha Modern Ensemble (Portuguese: ''Conjunto Moderno da Pampulha'') is an urban project in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It was designed around an artificial lake, Lake Pampulha, in the district of Pampulha and includes a casino, ...
, a collection of Niemeyer buildings in
Pampulha.
History
The church was controversial from the beginning. The mayor of Belo Horizonte,
Juscelino Kubitschek
Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira (; 12 September 1902 – 22 August 1976), also known by his initials JK, was a prominent Brazilian politician who served as the 21st president of Brazil from 1956 to 1961. His term was marked by economic prosp ...
, was the patron of the project. Niemeyer said that he was inspired by the French poet
Paul Claudel
Paul Claudel (; 6 August 1868 – 23 February 1955) was a French poet, dramatist and diplomat, and the younger brother of the sculptor Camille Claudel. He was most famous for his verse dramas, which often convey his devout Catholicism.
Early lif ...
's statement: "A church is God's hangar on earth", but ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' magazine wrote that the
Archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
of Belo Horizonte, Antonio dos Santos Cabral, saw it as "the devil's bomb shelter".
[https://web.archive.org/web/20080508195847/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,811067,00.html "Fit for Prayer"]. '']Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
''. April 27, 1959. Archbishop Cabral opposed both its unorthodox architectural and artistic forms, particularly the mural behind the altar of St. Francis with a dog depicting a wolf, painted by
Candido Portinari
Candido Portinari (December 29, 1903 – February 6, 1962) was a Brazilian painter. He is considered one of the most important Brazilian painters as well as a prominent and influential practitioner of the neo-realism style in painting.
Portinari ...
. He proclaimed the church "unfit for religious purposes".
A later mayor of Pampulha tried to have it condemned and demolished and when that failed, abused it by filling it with altars and monuments of various styles that did not fit the building. It was finally taken over by the
National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage
The National Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute (, IPHAN) is a heritage register of the federal government of Brazil. It is responsible for the preservation of buildings, monuments, structures, objects and sites, as well as the register and ...
. After the church was refurbished by Niemeyer, Auxiliary Archbishop João Rezende Costa (Archbishop Cabral was in virtual retirement by then) finally agreed that the church has "great artistic significance and a spiritual atmosphere" and it was consecrated.
He consecrated the church in April 1959, saying "Now we can feel the wonderful art created here in homage to the Creator."
Architecture
The
chapel
A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...
is considered the masterpiece of Niemeyer's
Modern Ensemble at Pampulha. In this project, Niemeyer experimented with reinforced concrete, abandoning the architecture of
slabs on
columns
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...
and creating a parabolic concrete
vault
Vault may refer to:
* Jumping, the act of propelling oneself upwards
Architecture
* Vault (architecture), an arched form above an enclosed space
* Bank vault, a reinforced room or compartment where valuables are stored
* Burial vault (enclosure ...
—a form until then only used in
hangar
A hangar is a building or structure designed to hold aircraft or spacecraft. Hangars are built of metal, wood, or concrete. The word ''hangar'' comes from Middle French ''hanghart'' ("enclosure near a house"), of Germanic origin, from Frankish ...
s. The concrete vault serves as both the structure and the enclosure, eliminating the need for masonry. With this project, Niemeyer started what would become the guiding principle of his later works: an architecture dominated by the plasticity of reinforced concrete in bold, unconventional, striking forms.
The interior features the
Stations of the Cross
The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Way of Sorrows or the Via Crucis, refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and accompanying prayers. The station ...
, made up of 14 panels by
Candido Portinari
Candido Portinari (December 29, 1903 – February 6, 1962) was a Brazilian painter. He is considered one of the most important Brazilian painters as well as a prominent and influential practitioner of the neo-realism style in painting.
Portinari ...
, considered one of his most characteristic works.
Alfredo Ceschiatti
Alfredo Ceschiatti (September 1, 1918 – August 25, 1989) was a Brazilian sculptor.
Life and career
Ceschiatti was born in Belo Horizonte in 1918 to Italian parents. He went to Italy in 1937, benefited by the Italian government in promoting ...
carved the bronze bas-reliefs of the
baptistery
In Christian architecture the baptistery or baptistry (Old French ''baptisterie''; Latin ''baptisterium''; Greek , 'bathing-place, baptistery', from , baptízein, 'to baptize') is the separate centrally planned structure surrounding the baptismal ...
. On the exterior, the figurative art panels are by Portinari and the abstract ones are by
Paulo Werneck Paulo is a Portuguese, Spanish, Swiss, and Italian masculine given name equivalent to English Paul. Notable people with the name include:
* Paulo Jr.
* Paulo Jr. (footballer)
*Paulo Almeida, Brazilian footballer
*Paulo André Cren Benini (born 19 ...
. The exterior walls are covered in pastel ceramic tiles in shades of light blue and white, forming abstract designs. The distinctive landscape of the church is the work of
Roberto Burle Marx
Roberto Burle Marx (August 4, 1909 – June 4, 1994) was a Brazilian landscape architect (as well as a painter, print maker, ecologist, naturalist, artist and musician) whose designs of parks and gardens made him world-famous. He is accredite ...
, a longtime Niemeyer collaborator.
The little church of Pampulha is one of the most well-known "
postcard
A postcard or post card is a piece of thick paper or thin cardboard, typically rectangular, intended for writing and mailing without an envelope. Non-rectangular shapes may also be used but are rare. There are novelty exceptions, such as wood ...
scenes" of Belo Horizonte.
File:كنيسة القديس فرنسيس الأسيزي 02.jpg
File:كنيسة القديس فرنسيس الأسيزي 12.jpg
File:كنيسة القديس فرنسيس الأسيزي 05.jpg
File:كنيسة القديس فرنسيس الأسيزي 07.jpg
File:كنيسة القديس فرنسيس الأسيزي 24.jpg
File:كنيسة القديس فرنسيس الأسيزي 06.jpg
Heritage status
The Church of Saint Francis of Assisi has been recognized as a heritage site by the Minas Gerais State Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (IEPHA-MG) since 1984,
the
National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage
The National Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute (, IPHAN) is a heritage register of the federal government of Brazil. It is responsible for the preservation of buildings, monuments, structures, objects and sites, as well as the register and ...
(IPHAN) since 1997,
and the Municipal Cultural Heritage Board of Minas Gerais.
The Church of Saint Francis of Assisi became a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
in July 2016. It is part of the
Pampulha Modern Ensemble
The Pampulha Modern Ensemble (Portuguese: ''Conjunto Moderno da Pampulha'') is an urban project in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It was designed around an artificial lake, Lake Pampulha, in the district of Pampulha and includes a casino, ...
, a UNESCO-designated collection of Niemeyer buildings in Pampulha.
See also
*
List of Oscar Niemeyer works
List of buildings and structures by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. From the approximately 600 projects designed by Niemeyer, only the most notable are listed below.
Early works (1930s)
*1936 – Gustavo Capanema Palace, Ministry of Educatio ...
References
External links
Church 3D in Google Earth
{{DEFAULTSORT:Church Of Saint Francis Of Assisi
Roman Catholic churches in Brazil
Modernist architecture in Brazil
Roman Catholic churches in Belo Horizonte
Roman Catholic churches completed in 1943
20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Brazil
Oscar Niemeyer buildings
Religious buildings and structures in Minas Gerais