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 IV – Duas Barras revisited

     A few months back I wrote a short series Driving the Country Roads, and one of the small towns visited was Duas Barras. Last week I took Marissa and Wendy (English/Brazilian friend) on a drive looking for a nice lunch and to show them this little town. I took a few more photos and thought you might enjoy just a little more than what I showed you last trip.

I kept thinking about our ‘rainbow’ Friday shoot-out and the metal, and the textures. This little place, so well preserved is a Mecca of eye-catching color and texture. The style is colonial Portuguese at its best. Wood frame windows, the use of natural stones and wrought iron just please me beyond description. The last time I drove over from Friburgo it must have been Saturday, this week it was a Wednesday and the school children were on their way back to school after lunch. The streets were full of people, walking, talking, sitting in the central square. No one seemed to pay me any attention while I nearly climbed a tree trying to photo some mushrooms at the base of its branches.                                                                                                                                    

   

    

  should I stop now…… no just one more row!

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.

Driving the Country Roads – Part 2

Back tracking from Cantagalo, just outside of Bom Jardim there is a cutoff headed west to Duas Barras (RJ144). The drive on this road is very pleasant, gentle curves and grand vistas of coffee plantations and small farms.

There was not much in the way of traffic the day we drove that direction but we did pass a donkey cart or two and farm animals grazing along side of the road.

Bucolic

 

Duas Barras is a well preserved little town. It shows a lot of care by the town’s elected officials. From the small local bar to the city’s church on the central square, it was all beautifully painted. I guess that unless you are familiar with other cities, including Friburgo you can’t understand the impact of these buildings and the care they have been given.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                         

                                  The church’s interior, as well as the rectory and gardens in the back, were one of the most beautiful I’ve seen anywhere (that means even in Europe / Italy) this is a real compliment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The towns people truly care for their church. (I know I take too many photos) The rest of the side streets were just as neat, we walked up and down them for nearly an hour enjoying the different styles and individual efforts made to make their home unique. After exploring the town from one end to the other we had lunch in an outdoor bar/restaurant one block off the main square and drove home in time for our afternoon nap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Duas Barras is about a 1 hour drive from the center of Friburgo. Add one day to your visit here in order to see this charming little place.