Our Lady of Purification Matriz Church

Our Lady of Purification Matriz Church is a Catholic place of worship in Prado featuring a nave, main chapel, two sacristies, and a bell tower topped with a pyramid-shaped roof. The building serves as an active religious space where regular masses take place and visitors can observe its architectural layout.

The current building was constructed starting in 1853, replacing an earlier temple from 1764 that was built to attract settlers to the area. This evolution over more than two centuries shows how the church remained central to the town's development.

The church became the religious center of the community when Nossa Senhora da Purification was named the town's patron saint in 1896. Visitors can still sense how this devotion shapes the daily life of locals and shows itself in the religious celebrations held here.

The church welcomes visitors regularly during its mass schedules and is open for exploration. Guided tours are available for those wanting to learn more about its construction details and religious history.

The construction of the building incorporates traditional materials from the 1800s, including clay and whale oil used in the building process. This unusual use of whale oil as a construction material reflects the resources available and building techniques of that period.