Church of the Holy Cross of the Military, Colonial religious building in Centro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The Church of the Holy Cross of the Military stands at Rua Primeiro de Março 36 in central Rio de Janeiro. Its neoclassical facade has a narrower upper storey with volutes and a triangular pediment, Ionic pilasters below and Corinthian above. Four niches hold evangelist statues brought from Italy in 1926; the belfry sits at the rear, not flanking the front.

The site began as the Forte da Santa Cruz, built by governor Martim Correia de Sá in the early 17th century. Between 1623 and 1628, with the fort unused, a chapel was built and the city's military founded a brotherhood there; the chapel also served as Rio's cathedral from 1703 to 1733. The church was rebuilt between 1780 and 1811 to a design attributed to military engineer José Custódio de Sá e Faria, and Prince Regent João attended its inauguration after arriving in Rio in 1808. Dom Pedro I named it an Imperial Church on 3 December 1828, and Dom Pedro II did so again in 1840.

The Brotherhood of the Holy Cross of the Military, founded by soldiers in the 1620s, still holds services here. Its protectors included Dom João VI, Dom Pedro I and Dom Pedro II, and among its provedores were Martim Correia de Sá and the Duque de Caxias. The church was named Imperial twice, in 1828 and 1840.

The building is easily accessible in central Rio de Janeiro, surrounded by other heritage sites that you can explore in the same area. Visitors can attend regular religious services or arrange to see the interior and its architectural details.

The facade lacks the two flanking towers usual in colonial Rio churches: the bell tower stands at the rear of the building. The four niches hold statues of the Evangelists brought from Italy in 1926; the two original wooden figures of Saint Matthew and Saint John, carved by Mestre Valentim, are now in the National Historical Museum.