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Municipality in Southeast Brazil, Brazil
Photo: Valter Campanato/ABr, CC BY 3.0 br via Wikimedia Commons
Aparecida is a city in the Vale do Paraíba region, in São Paulo state. It is a major Catholic pilgrimage site that gets more than 10 million visitors per year, mostly coming to visit the Basílica de Nossa Senhora Aparecida, the second largest Catholic temple in the World.
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Basílica Nova, Santuário Nacional de Nossa Conceição Aparecida
Inaugurated in 1980, the huge temple, with a 100-m high tower and an area of 23,000 m², is the main attraction of the city. The temple has the shape of a cross and its architect was Benedito Calixto Filho. The tower contains an observation decks that provides nice views of the city, the Paraíba river, and surrounding region.
Our Lady of Aparecida
The terracotta image of Our Lady of Aparecida, declared by the Roman Catholic Church as "Patroness of Brazil" and one of the main symbols of the Catholic faith in the entire country, was found decapitated in a river in 1717. Studies have shown that it was likely crafted by Frei Agostinho de Jesus in the 17th century. The characteristic crown and blue cap of the image was given by Princess Isabel of Brazil in 1888.
Inaugurated in 1888, this Baroque-style church was the previous host of the image of Our Lady of Aparecida. It is generally visited by pilgrims together with the new church.
The pedestrian bridge that links the Basílica Nova to the Basílica Velha. It offers nice views of the Basílica Nova and of the city.
Catholic seminar in Renaissance-style, constructed in 1894. Also contains a pousada-style hotel.
The spot in the Paraíba river where the image of Our Lady of Aparecida was presumably found. The place contains a chapel, some monuments, and a few tourist shops. If that doesn't seem much, one can at least take a scenic photo of the Paraíba river with the Basílica in the background.
Unless you are part of a Catholic pilgrimage or you are very adventurous, you will hardly have the chance of visiting this XIX century church, in the middle of the rural area of the municipality and only accessible by dirt roads. The church is last remaining building of the Bonfim village, that disappeared with the decline of coffee farming, and is nowadays a stop point for pilgrims from other parts of the Paraíba valley.
Has a nice atmosphere, comfortable rooms and is placed right in front of the Basilica. There is a nice gym, swimming pool, playground, pool bar and restaurant, "gourmet" cafeteria and souvenir shop.
The traditional (and huge) weekend market, with about 3,500 tents, takes the entire path between the Rodoviária (intercity bus terminal) and the Basílica de Nossa Senhora Aparecida. Here it is possible to buy practically everything, legal or not, related or not with Catholic faith.
You can buy locally-made bread and cakes at this bakery in the underground of the Basílica. It is a social project, with the products made by low income young people in the region.
By plane
Aparecida's closest airport with commercial flights is in São José dos Campos, about 1 hour by car. São José dos Campos has about 2 intercity buses per hour to Aparecida.
By bus
30 as of July 2013), operated by Viação Cometa and Pássaro Marrom. There may be more frequent buses from cities of the Paraíba valley.
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São José Dos Campos · Regional · SJK
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