Church of Our Lady of Lourdes (Canela)

Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes
"Catedral de Pedra", by Tiago Fioreze
General information
Location	Canela, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Construction started	1953
Completed	1987
Height
Antenna spire	65 m (213 ft)

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes (Portuguese: Catedral Nossa Senhora de Lourdes), also known as Cathedral of Stone (Portuguese: Catedral de Pedra), is a Catholic church located in the Brazilian city of Canela, Rio Grande do Sul. It is considered one of the major tourist attractions of the Serra Gaúcha.

Its characteristic style is English Gothic. The church has a tower with 65 meters high, and a carillon of 12 bells made of bronze by foundry Giacomo Crespi, Italy. In its interior are three panels consisting of painted canvases by the gaucho artist Marciano Schmitz, depicting the "Apparition of Our Lady", the "Allegory of the Angels", and "Annunciation". The paintings of Via Sacra were made by Pablo Herrera, a Uruguayan sculptor and restorer of Sacred Art. Wood and clay were used, with the background painting having superimposed images in clay.

Its stained glasses represent the litany of Our Lady. The altar, whose theme is the Last Supper, is a work of art carved in by wood Julius Tixe, a Uruguayan sculptor.

External links

• History of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes (in Portuguese)
• Cathedral of Stone (in Portuguese)