national sanctuary of our lady of aparecida

Amazing church,so huge, so beautiful. Everyone who is near should see it. Really nice experience. Parking cost 15 reals for a car, enterence is free. If you want to visit boulevard and museum 6 reals per person.

This is a must-see for anyone in the area. Drivers should stop by when traveling in Via Dutra. The magnitude and organization is impressive for this country.

I have been to the Basilica more than 40 years ago, when it was not so popular and well known. But even then there was no way to avoid the emotion one feels when visiting Our Lady of Aparecida. Maybe you don't believe in miracles, but the people going there, rich and poor, go there looking for it.

A massive and impressive Basilica dedicated to Brazil`s popular Lady of Aparecida. A must see location which has deep roots in Brazilian culture. Very well organized and definitively oriented to high amounts or crowd. Spending 1-2 hrs here means a lot for many brazilians and gives the opportunity to know more about Brazil for foreigners a must see on the way from Rio to Sao Paulo or viceversa.

Beautiful Sanctuary that needs to be discovered and appreciated. I was only there for a short time but it something I would redo during my next visit to Brazil. The tour includes a presentation of the history of statue of Our Lady of Aparecida as well as concerning the contruction and significance of the architecture. It is a very inviting place for prayer and recollection. Take your time while visiting this location if not you will regret it. I would plan about 4 hours for the visit excluding transportation.

I asked my travel agent to add this to my itinerary and am so glad we made the visit. We had a private tour guide pick us up from Rio and it was about a 4-5 hour drive. It's the second largest Basilica in the world and it's the home of the miraculous statue of Our Lady of Aparecida, which was found by fisherman ages ago and has been making miracles for believers ever since. Things to see in the Basilica and not to miss include the Statue, the Room of Candles - a beautiful room where visitors can pray and lit candles for loved ones (a small shop there sells candles for cheap), the Room of Promises - an underground mini museum of the Basilica and some of the miracles the Virgin has performed, and the Holy Garden. I almost missed the garden but it's located outside the Basilica, across the parking lot to the right. It's a garden with statues depicting various moments such as the Nativity. Very pretty to walk around and enjoy.Across the Basilica is also a shopping center, but we didn't go in there.

I tooka guided tour of the Cathedral after attending the 6:00 pm evening Mass and it was outstanding. I learned a lot aboutthe construction, meaning, and history of the Cathedral and its construction

I wish we could have spent more time here! Aparecida rises out of the clouds and is mirage between Sao Paulo and Rio. The Sanctuary is so large that Pilgrims can adore Our Lady while the service is going on below. The artwork is expansive as well as the many people who come daily to visit and pray.

It is a huge cathedral and an amazing complex. The main church is reached by a footbridge which may prove challenging for the elderly, mainly returning from the Basilica to the city for the footbridge has a slight upward tilt in that direction. Some people cross it on their knees to thank for miracles achieved. The city of Aparecida sits in a valley and the weather can get really warm so be advised.

The basilica is quite impressive from the moment you enter town. The architecture is simple, yet beautiful. The stained glass windows and mosaics are lovely. It is a peaceful place to spend some time. We went on a weekday morning, so it wasn't busy. The area is otherwise very commercialized. Never before have I seen a place where you can go to church, grab lunch and buy a new car stereo all in one place. Check out the basicilica, but you can skip the mall.

Beautiful cathedral that is massive in size and is amazing. Must see the shrine and beautiful mosaics. Walk the path for the sculptures - a religious themed path with fountain!

It is a fantastic site, the architecture and beauty of this place charm the eyes. People from all over the country visit the place, specially on holidays. The complex presents the main cathedral, several altars, a hotel for nuns and priests, a food plaza, a mini-mall and the halls of candles and miracles.

It is the heart of the catholicism in Brazil. The temple is huge, although very simple. Some rooms are full of emotion.

National Shrine of Our Lady of AparecidaThe Basilica dedicated to Our Lady of Aparecida (Aparecida = The found one) is located in the city of Aparecida, in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of Aparecida is Brazil’s Patroness. It is the third largest Catholic Church in the world. It was established on July 4th, 1980, when John Paul II visited Brazil for the first time. It is the central point of the city life.Everything in Aparecida seems to exist due to the devotion to Our Lady Aparecida, under whose intercession many Brazilian Catholics have received favors and pay her homage by visiting the temple. It is a huge cathedral and an amazing complex. The main church is reached by a footbridge which may prove challenging for the elderly, mainly returning from the Basilica to the city for the footbridge has a slight upward tilt in that direction. Some people cross it on their knees to thank for miracles achieved. The city of Aparecida sits in a valley and the weather can get really warm so be advised.It all began when some fishermen circa the XVIII century were casting their nets in the Paraiba River unsuccessfully until they retrieved the head of a statue of Mary and soon after retrieved the body. After this they caught an amazing amount of fish in their nets. After this other miracles followed. The original statue which might have been brought from Portugal was originally Black and so remained until vandals crashed it. When the statue was put together again, they finally realized that the Black color was due to a layer of clay which might have been added by time in the River banks.Today we have the old basilica which is a smaller church built around 1770 and the new basilica which stands for the large compound depicted above. The new basilica has received pilgrimage since the early 1970’s. The 12th of October, the day when the image was found, is a national holiday and literally thousands of people visit the Shrine on this date. So, unless you like way crowded places don’t go there during the week of October the 12th.

Conhecer o santuário de Aparecida é um momento único para o cristão,lugar de se renovar e aumentar sua fé,a catedral é linda sem igual,chegue cedo e aproveite bem esse lugar maravilhoso.