Igreja Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Catholic church in Serra, Brazil
Igreja Nossa Senhora da Conceição is a church on Praça Barbosa Leão in central Serra, at the foot of the Mestre Álvaro massif near the Santa Maria da Vitória River. The 1769 structure has masonry walls and two towers added in 1938 to hold the bells, which had hung on the sides. Its interior holds paintings by Walter Francisco de Assis.
Priest Bráz Lourenço founded the first chapel in 1556 at a settlement called Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Serra near the Santa Maria da Vitória River. After approximately 200 years, the entire village and religious complex needed to be relocated due to a malaria outbreak.
The church gardens hold the Mastro pole, which serves as a central symbol during the annual São Benedito celebrations held on December 26. This local festival blends religious observance with folk traditions that bring the community together.
The church stands on Praça Barbosa Leão in the central area of Serra, the position it has occupied since 1769. The two bell towers flank the entrance, and the interior paintings by Walter Francisco de Assis are visible inside. The 8 December feast of the Immaculate Conception coincides with the city's anniversary and draws processions and masses.
The 1769 rebuilding followed a malaria outbreak that forced the chapel, the whole settlement and an indigenous village to move to the site on Praça Barbosa Leão. The interior paintings are by Walter Francisco de Assis, a noted artist from Serra.
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