Cathedral of Maringá, Catholic cathedral in Maringá, Brazil
The Cathedral of Maringá is a Catholic church in Maringá, Brazil, shaped as a soaring cone with a total height of 124 meters including the cross at the top. The outer walls slope upward in a smooth taper, creating a silhouette that stands out across the city skyline.
The foundation stone, a marble fragment from excavations beneath St Peter's Basilica, was laid on 15 August 1958 in a ceremony led by Bishop Dom Jaime Luiz Coelho and presided over by Archbishop Dom Manuel da Silveira D'Elboux of Curitiba. Construction ran from July 1959 to 10 May 1972, the city's 25th anniversary, following plans by architect José Augusto Bellucci. The cathedral was consecrated on 3 May 1981 and became a Minor Basilica on 21 January 1982.
The ossuary with 1,360 loculi sits inside the two cones at a height of 45 metres, not beneath the main altar; families acquire these niches to keep the remains of their relatives. The 16 stained-glass windows are by Lorenz Osterroht, and the interior panels are by Zanzal Mattar. A seven-metre wooden crucifix by sculptor Conrado Moser stands inside.
The administration office opens on weekdays and provides information about services and opportunities to visit the interior space. Access to the building is through the main entrance on the street side, where the forecourt with water basins is also located.
Below the altar lies a crypt containing 1,360 burial chambers, extending the space for interments within the building. Fountains around the structure shoot water jets up to five meters high, casting reflections across the surrounding pools.
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