Igreja Nossa Senhora da Candelária

Across Rua 1 de Março from the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil [1] you can’t miss the monumental Igreja Nossa Senhora da Candelária (Praça Pio X, Centro, tel. 21/2233-2324, 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m. Mon.–Fri., 9 a.m.–noon Sat., 9 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Sun., free), located on the site of Rio [2]’s first church. Begun in 1775, the present church took over 100 years to complete, which accounts for its eclectic mixture of baroque and Renaissance elements.

The interior is filled with a splendid and multihued array of marble, along with decorative elements such as doors made from finely wrought bronze. Ceiling panels recount the legend of the original church’s construction by a shipwrecked captain whose life was miraculously saved.