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Top 10 Remarkable Facts about the Rio de Janeiro cathedral

The Rio de Janeiro cathedral also known as the metropolitan Cathedral of Sao Sebastiao of Rio de Janeiro stands out among buildings in the city. The church has a unique structure that leaves people marvelled. Everyone who visits is surprised by the history and its appearance.

The Unusual structure makes it one of the most remarkable sights to see. Below are some interesting facts about Rio de Janeiro Cathedral.

1 Missing cross

When one looks at the church from the outside, they might say it鈥檚 not a catholic church, mainly because, they can鈥檛 see one of the traditional symbols of the Catholic Church: the cross at the top, however, just like all catholic churches the Rio de Janeiro has a cross as its ultimate symbol.

When one steps foot inside the church, one can see the cross at the top, located at the centre of a circle. The cross made of transparent material illuminates light that spreads throughout the church representing the presence of God among his people.

2 Stained glasses

The cathedral has 4 stained glass windows which are positioned according to the cardinal points. They approve of the purpose of the cathedral and confirm the four fundamental characteristics of the church: One, Holy, Catholic and Apostle.

One, on the window, is represented by the colour green meaning unity of the church, Holy in red illustrated sanctified and sanctifying, Catholic in blue refers to the church’s mission to save men and apostolic in yellow alludes to the hierarchy of the Catholic Church.

3 Named after Saint Sabastian

The church is dedicated to saint Sabastian, the patron saint of Rio de Janeiro. St Sabastian was an early Christian saint and martyr. According to beliefs, he was killed during the Great persecution of Christians. He was tied to a post or tree and shot by arrows, he however didn鈥檛 die and was rescued by saint Irene of Rome.

After his recovery, he went to warn Diocletian about his sins and that鈥檚 where he was hit to death. This is why the official name of the cathedral is 鈥淢etropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sabastian鈥�

4 The crypt

The crypt of the church is found in the basement under the main altar. The cathedral has a rich sacred art museum containing a collection of documents. The documents showcase a social, political and religious profile of the city.  

Some of the most important pieces in the museum include the baptism font used to baptise the prince of the royal family, the throne of DonPedro II and the golden Rose given by Pope Leo XIII showcasing the end of slavery in the city.

5 It’s massive

Conical in form, the cathedral has 96 meters of internal diameter, 106 meters of external diameter and an overall height of 75 meters. The area is 8000 square meters inside the church and has a capacity of 20,000 people while standing and 5000 while seated. The cathedral’s four windows run 64 meters from the floor to the ceiling meeting at the top to form a cross.

6 It is constructed in a modern style

The cathedral was designed by Edgar de Oliveira da Fonseca, a Brazilian architect. The modern style was based on the Mayan architectural style of the Pyramids. Most churches are gothic in style therefore the cone-shaped, tall building structure of Rio de Janeiro leaves a

Despite the pyramid structure being modern, the Mayan architecture spans several thousands of years ago. The Mesoamerican pyramids are similar to the Egyptian pyramid but they have a flat top. These are the new world structure used while constructing the cathedral.

7 It was constructed between 1964 and 1979

In 1964 the state of Guanabara granted the land to build the cathedral. On January 20, 1964, is when the construction started. This was under Pope Paul VI. The first mass of the Metropolitan cathedral was celebrated by D.Eugenio de Araujo Sales in 1972.

In 1976 the Archdiocese celebrated its Tricentennial and the Cathedral of Sao Sabastian had its High Alter and 1979, D Eugenio Celebrated the Silver Jubilee of his episcopal ordination making the solemn dedication of the temple. These are the two important dates of the inauguration of the cathedral.

8. It was a replacement

The cathedral was not the first church to serve as the official seat of the Archdioceses in the city. It replaced a church that still exists up to date called the church of our Lady of Mount Camel of an ancient see.

This church is known as the 鈥淥ld Cathedral鈥� of Rio de Janeiro, it was built between 1761 and 1770. It is allocated at the Cento of the city, a few hundred meters northwest of the Rio de Janeiro Cathedral.

9 Located in the centre of the city

The cathedral is one of the most fascinating sights to look at and is allocated in the centre of the city. It is surrounded by other interesting landmarks such as the Museum of Modern Arts of Rio De Janeiro, an abstract sculpture dedicated to victims of World War II and the 18^th 鈥揷entury Carioca Aqueduct. The church is easy to find because of its structure and location.

10 Home to Remarkable Architecture and Structure

In the garden at the front door, there is a bronze sculpture of Pope John Paul II. This was the work of Mario Agostinelli. The main door of the church is called Porta de Fe meaning door of faith and is decorated with 48 bronze reliefs.

The cathedral, being pretty and captivating from the outside is also home to precious artefacts. One can notice a large number of paintings, architectural furniture and religious clothing.  The objects have high historical and religious value.