Parish Church of Saint John the Baptist
The Parish Church of Saint John the Baptist is a historical landmark of Cananéia, known for being one of the oldest churches in Brazil, built in 1570 and which once functioned as a defensive fort.
The church is an important cultural and historical heritage of the city. Visitors often notice the interesting details of the original construction, such as the windows designed for defense against invaders, which reveal its dual function as a place of worship and a military fort.
The construction of the Parish Church of Saint John the Baptist, in Cananéia, is fascinating for mixing faith and military defense.
Here are the most striking construction details:
"Armored" Walls: The walls are extremely thick, made of a mixture of stones, shell lime and whale oil. Whale oil was used to waterproof the structure against sea air and humidity.
Church-Fort: The building was designed to serve as a refuge against attacks by pirates and invaders. Therefore, it originally had no side windows, only small slits called arrow slits.
Combat Loopholes: These vertical slits in the walls allowed defenders to position muskets and firearms to fire at invaders without exposing themselves.
Massive Gates: The entrance has enormous and heavy gates, reinforced to withstand invasion attempts.
Colonial Simplicity: Unlike the baroque churches of Minas Gerais, the interior is known for its extreme simplicity and lack of ostentation, maintaining the Portuguese colonial style of the time.
Fujifilm X-T1 XF18-55mmF2.8-4 R LM OIS
Cananéia, São Paulo, Brazil.
Parish Church of Saint John the Baptist
The Parish Church of Saint John the Baptist is a historical landmark of Cananéia, known for being one of the oldest churches in Brazil, built in 1570 and which once functioned as a defensive fort.
The church is an important cultural and historical heritage of the city. Visitors often notice the interesting details of the original construction, such as the windows designed for defense against invaders, which reveal its dual function as a place of worship and a military fort.
The construction of the Parish Church of Saint John the Baptist, in Cananéia, is fascinating for mixing faith and military defense.
Here are the most striking construction details:
"Armored" Walls: The walls are extremely thick, made of a mixture of stones, shell lime and whale oil. Whale oil was used to waterproof the structure against sea air and humidity.
Church-Fort: The building was designed to serve as a refuge against attacks by pirates and invaders. Therefore, it originally had no side windows, only small slits called arrow slits.
Combat Loopholes: These vertical slits in the walls allowed defenders to position muskets and firearms to fire at invaders without exposing themselves.
Massive Gates: The entrance has enormous and heavy gates, reinforced to withstand invasion attempts.
Colonial Simplicity: Unlike the baroque churches of Minas Gerais, the interior is known for its extreme simplicity and lack of ostentation, maintaining the Portuguese colonial style of the time.
Fujifilm X-T1 XF18-55mmF2.8-4 R LM OIS
Cananéia, São Paulo, Brazil.