Basilica of Our Lady of Nazareth of Exile, Belém, Brazil Verified listing

Basilica of Our Lady of Nazareth of Exile, Belém, Brazil

The Basilica of Our Lady of Nazareth of Exile, also known as the Basilica of Belém, stands in Belém, in the state of Pará, Brazil. It marks the place where Plácido José de Souza reportedly found the image of the Virgin of Nazareth. Although stories about Plácido’s background vary, the site remains sacred to many.

Construction started in 1909. The Barnabite priests from Genoa hired Gino Coppedè to design the building. Instead of a simple parish church, he created a grand basilica. He based the design on the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. That basilica, designed by Pasquale Belli and Luigi Poletti, mixes Neoclassical and Eclectic styles.

Coppedè didn’t include steeples in his original design. However, the city of Belém insisted on twin bell towers. Officials argued that churches in the Portuguese-speaking world should follow that tradition. Similarly, the Church of Saint Anne, by architect Landi, also received towers later. On October 24, 1909, Archbishop Santino Maria Coutinho laid the cornerstone.

The basilica measures 62 meters long, 24 meters wide, and 20 meters high. Its two towers rise 42 meters higher. The church houses nine bells, and the largest weighs over two tons.

On July 19, 1923, Pope Pius XI recognized it as a minor basilica. Then, in 1953, Pope Pius XII granted pontifical coronation to the Marian image. The coronation took place on August 15 of that year. Later, in 2006, Pope Benedict XVI named it an Archdiocesan Marian Sanctuary.

Today, the basilica stands as a major religious and cultural symbol in Brazil. Many pilgrims visit it each year during the Círio de Nazaré festival.

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