Churches of Brasil

On November 12, 2009 the MTFSO was also Churches, formal and informal.  And after revisiting that post, I wondered how I could top it.   What new churches I could show you?   In February of this year, I featured one of my favorite churches to photograph in Friburgo Centro,  the one severely damaged by the January 12th floods,  so I’ve decided I have to take you farther away.  If nothing else comes of this MTFSO at least I got to spend several hours looking through older posts, reading what I’ve written about Brasil and thoroughly enjoying myself. 

I looked through many photos in the archives looking for just the right church to feature this week.  The churches, that I’ve seen, in Brasil are nothing like the great cathedrals of Europe but the are in their own way just as beautiful.  Often they have two steeples and are painted white with blue trim.  These are ‘Portuguese’ churches.  If you drive north and a little east of Nova Friburgo you can find the small town of Santa Maria Madalena.   Traveling through country dotted with rolling hills and small farms,  you finally wind your way into this clean, neat little community.  The church is literally the center/ the highlight, the purpose for this town.  (If you have a moment check back through my links to read more about these towns and their churches.)  This church as a distinctively Scandinavian or German flavor. 

 

 

   

   

  

As we walked around the town, which was around the church I could see the steeple from nearly every angle.  Front to back, top to bottom a beautiful town and church. 

Driving the Country Roads – Part 3

For now this will be my last little town in the Friburgo area to tell you about. I have been trying to organize my photos and have run across three other places I think interesting, but will hold back to keep you from being bored.

Our visit to the town of Santa Maria Madalena was an impromptu stop over (drive out of the way a bit) on our way back to Friburgo from Macaé on the coast (1 hour north of Buzios). At the time the road through Lumiar was not open so we would leave Macaé – taking BR101 to RJ182 then RJ174 back over to RJ116 and into Friburgo. This was a 3 1/2 hour drive but beautiful – farm land, high mountains, a decent road.

This time through though Camillo suggested that we go to this little town – he’d heard it was beautiful. The drive on a bright sunny day took us through small towns with churches maintained much better than the local homes, along roads bordered with fenced grazing land, and even higher - on the summit before starting back down was a geological point of interest. The sign explained that this was the highest point and from there you could see the sea….. the view was spectacular.

Santa Maria Madalena with its impressive cathedral, clean swept, flower lined streets, simple local church and surrounding hills was well worth our detour.

 

If I remember correctly we had some difficulty figuring our way out – many little highways intersecting without signposts to help us. I am sure we stopped for directions several times. When the highways go up, around, down and double back on themselves it is VERY easy to not know the direction you are driving – if in doubt ask for help  –  It was at least a 2 hour drive back into Friburgo.