Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos, Baroque church in Cidade Alta district, Natal, Brazil.
Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos is a Baroque church with an elliptical floor plan made of two intersecting volumes featuring curved frontispieces and bell towers set against white walls. The interior follows this geometric form, with the main nave and principal chapel having different sizes to create its distinctive shape.
The Brotherhood of Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos received construction permission in 1753 and completed the building between 1822 and 1823. This makes it the second oldest Catholic temple in the city and reflects an important period in the development of religious architecture there.
This church was an important gathering place for the Black community during colonial times and displays images of saints connected to African spiritual traditions. Visitors can still see this blend of European religious form and African spiritual heritage reflected in the details today.
The church is located near the Ribeira neighborhood in the upper part of town and holds regular religious services. Visitors should know that the elliptical shape of the building creates an unusual sense of space that becomes apparent when entering.
The floor plan combines two ellipses of different sizes, with the larger one housing the main nave and the smaller one containing the principal chapel. This mathematical design was a rare architectural choice at the time of its completion.
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