Olinda Cathedral, Colonial cathedral at Alto da Sé, Olinda, Brazil.
Olinda Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral sitting on a hilltop in the historic center of Olinda, in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco. The building has white exterior walls, a bell tower, and a plain facade, with views stretching over the coast and the rooftops of the old town below.
The cathedral was founded in 1540, making it the oldest religious building in Olinda. It was largely destroyed during the Dutch invasion in the 17th century and then rebuilt over the following decades.
The gilded wooden altars and the azulejo tiles on the walls show the Portuguese influence on religious art in Brazil directly. Stepping inside feels like entering a space where the style of worship has barely changed over the centuries.
The cathedral is easy to reach on foot from the main street of the old town, which leads directly up the hill. Mornings tend to be quieter, making them a good time to look around inside without the presence of large groups.
The hilltop position of the cathedral gives one of the few spots in Olinda where the sea, the old town, and the port are all visible at once from the same point. The church was deliberately placed at the highest point in the city so that it could be seen from every direction, including from arriving ships at sea.
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