Catedral da Sé

The nucleus of old downtown is the Catedral da Sé (Praça da Sé, Centro, tel. 11/3107-6832), a neo-gothic church built from 1912–1954 (finished on Brazil’s 200th birthday). It is 55 meters high and much of the marble and brass work inside was shipped in from Italy, including all of the yellow marble and the entire altar. The design of the church, however, is very Brazilian. This can be seen in the mixture of stained-glass styles and themes (featuring Italian, French, and Brazilian panels) as well as in the sculptures on the main pillars (in the form of Brazilian flora and fauna). The pipe organ (currently not functioning) is the largest in South America. In the praça just outside the Catedral, you’ll see Marco Zero, the point from which distances in Brazil are measured. It is distinguished by a brass plate standing in the middle of a large compass inlayed in the praça’s floor. The church doors open at 8 a.m. (all three tons of them) with bells that ring out the Brazilian national anthem. Bells ring again at noon and briefly each hour. There are short tours offered for R$3, which will allow you to see the chapel room under the main altar with its various tombs. Vera, the principal guide does not speak much English, but she knows everything about the church and you’ll get all the main points. Her tours are from 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m. The church is open from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. every day and has mass at 8:30 a.m.–noon weekdays; and at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., and 5 p.m. on Sunday.