The church of Nossa Senhora da Lapa dos Mercadores, downtown, reopens this Saturday with a mass by D. Orani Tempesta

After almost 4 years of closure, the church is completely restored and ready to receive visitors and faithful. The reopening mass will be at 18:00, in Rua do Ouvidor, nº 35 The Church of Nossa Senhora da Lapa dos Mercadores, in the center, reopens this Saturday with a mass by D. Orani Tempesta

Hidden in the most preserved part of Old Rio, among narrow streets, townhouses and historic buildings, the Church of Nossa Senhora da Lapa dos Mercadores, is lost in the urban bustle of Rua do Ouvidor, nº 35, in downtown Rio de Janeiro, where is found.

The construction began in a simple way, with a simple oratory dedicated to the saint. In 1747, the first works on the church began, which included features in the Rococo and Baroque styles, which make the temple a true historical, cultural and devotional pearl of the Catholic faith.

Closed for almost four years by the Civil Protection due to the collapse of a piece of its facade, the church has gone through moments of great difficulty. The exterior was dilapidated, the paint stained and peeling. Holes could be seen in some corners of the centennial monument.

Faced with the threat to the city’s relic and heritage, businessmen and volunteers have banded together to revitalize the temple. The first steps began in March of this year, when the entrepreneur and director of Sérgio Castro Imóveis, Cláudio André Castro, was appointed administrative commissioner of the Brotherhood of Merchants by the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro, with the aim of restoring the celestial splendor to the Catholic jewel.

“The Archdiocese is very attentive to the entire historical heritage of our city. And even when some places are not our property, but belong to brotherhoods, we have tried to find alternative ways for restoration. To be able to reopen for public worship and, at the same time, with all the history, the beauty of the Church of Nossa Senhora da Lapa dos Mercadores, it is a great joy to continue to bring to the community so many churches that are part of the history of the Brazil and Rio,” the cardinal archbishop of Rio de Janeiro, Dom Orani Tempesta, told the newspaper O Globo.

Quickly, Cláudio André mobilized professionals and volunteers to recover the facade, the electrical and plumbing installations, the decupinization and the removal of the vegetation that sprouted on the columns and walls. All of the church’s remaining furnishings and artwork also underwent a tasteful revitalization, as the temple was one of the first buildings to be classified in Rio de Janeiro by the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN).

“Because the Heritage Commission of the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro asked us to take action and restore this church as a beacon of history, culture, religion and the Catholic faith, in downtown Rio, we were able to act quickly,” he said Cláudio André Castro at RJ2, from Rede Globo.

The recomposition of the Church of Nossa Senhora da Lapa dos Mercadores strictly followed all the norms defined by the IPHAN. As support material, Cláudio André Castro used 70 negatives from the 1920s found by the entrepreneur while tidying up the space. In the images it was possible to see the historical and cultural richness of the temple. Through the photographs it was possible to verify what still remained of the original collection. Thus began the iconographic recovery of the building, which had already lost many of its metal parts.

“The church had lost many of its metal pieces, for reasons that I don’t know what, things weren’t here anymore. “, Cláudio André explained to the newspaper and whose family has been collecting art for more than 100 years.

The pieces of the businessman’s family will join some original works of extreme historical value, such as the images of Santana with the Virgin Child and São Joaquim, ritually incorporated into the church in 1766. The image of Nossa Senhora da Lapa, which is kept in the niche main hall, is also original. The altar, on the other hand, was bought by the merchant at an auction and donated to the church.

For Washington Fajardo, architect and urban planner and former Secretary of Urban Planning of the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, the revitalization of historical moments is of great importance for the city, but continuity in actions is necessary.

“Restructuring is important, but you have to know how to take care of it. There, where the church is located, it was the epicenter of commerce in the colonial and imperial Rio. Today we want to see the Center recovered and it is exactly this type of work of public power by Cláudio it is not enough, people have to pay attention and care to the small details of the city,” Fajardo told Globo. The architect was one of the volunteers in the work to revitalize the monument.

With the renovation of the church, whose bell has resumed ringing every hour, citizens and tourists will be able to access the celebration of masses, as well as being able to participate in cultural and historical events on the building, whose bell tower was hit by a projectile cannon during the revolt of the Armada, in 1893. The piece is still displayed in the church, which still has the image of Nossa Senhora da Fé, who fell from the top of the tower, having suffered only minor damage to one of her hands, which it was seen by the faithful of the time as a miracle.

The reopening of the church takes place this Saturday (10), at 18, with the celebration of a mass by the cardinal archbishop of Rio de Janeiro, Dom Orani Tempesta.

“William Bittar: About the Church of Nossa Senhora da Lapa dos Mercadores do Rio de Janeiro”

“18th century church bells ring again and strike the hours in downtown Rio”

“Volunteers of the faith: the people who have contributed to the recovery of the Church of Nossa Senhora da Lapa dos Mercadores, in Rua do Ouvidor”.

The information comes from the newspaper O Globo and RJ2, from Rede Globo.

Source: Terra

Rose

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