Visiting Aparecida
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The economy of Aparecida depends much on tourism, particularly visitors who come for Religion reasons; residents and administrators of Aparecida know how important a trip to the city may be to visitors, and have worked to turn every visit into an unforgetable experience.
Aparecida is still a small city, located by the banks of river Paraíba; climate is dry and mild (no extreme temperatures); this allows visitors to have a contact with Nature while visiting the city. Because of this, Aparecida gained the official status of "estancia turistica" (only 29 municipalities in the State of São Paulo have such a status); this status distinguishes the city as a particular good tourist destination.
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The first stop is the City Portal, where tourist offices have maps, folders, postcards, etc. The staff is trained to give information about the city.
In the central area, near the old Basilica, an old water reservoir was turned into a viewing standpoint, called Mirante Jose Salomao Kopaz; the tower is 20 meter (65 ft) high, and is climbed in a panoramic lift. To get from the upper part of the city to the lower part, one can take the cable car; before shortening the walk, the cable car affords an excellent view of the New Basilica.
Another viewing point is Mirante das Pedras, situated on a bridge across Paraíba river; besides watching the river and the mountains, visitors can take a photo by the Statue of Our Lady, which is 1.80 m (5ft 10in) tall.
A very popular tourist point is Porto Itaguaçu, where the fishermen found the statue of Our Lady (see History of Aparecida). It is possible to ride a small cart along the banks, or to take a boat up the river. A small chapel is open until late; the place is lit and policed all the time.
Aparecida has one of the biggest flowers clock in Brazil, with 9 meters (30 ft) of diameter; the clock combines flowers from all over the country.
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The Saint Benedict Church was dedicated in 1924. On the Saint Benedict Day, in April, the church is visited by thousands of worshipers.
The Old Basilica is still mandatory point of visitation. Dedicated in 1745, the church was visited by millions of pilgrims. The church was refurbished several times, and the respective dates were marked on the external walls. The church is known as Old House of Our Lady; the two bells still toll, calling people for masses.
Near the Basilica, visitors can see the Panels of Faith. These panels were made by local artists and portray some of the miracles credited to Our Lady. Two such panels are shown above: the blind girl and the freed slaves.
A poor woman called Gertrudes had a son and a daughter, who had been born blind. The son visited Aparecida several times, and when he went back home to told his mother and sister how beautiful the image of Our Lady was. One day, the mother and the girl had the chance to come to Aparecida; when they were arriving near the chapel, the girls says: "Mom, isn't that the chapel of Our Lady?"; the mother asks: "can you see it, my darling?"; the girl says: "yes, mom, a saw a light which healed my sight".
Around 1850, a slave called Zacarias passed near the church, and asked his master permission for a pray; the master conceded. The slave was praying on his knees; after a few moments, the chain broke apart; the master realized that that was a miracle, and freed the slave.
The last photo shows the Passarela da Fé (Walkway of Faith), which connects the Old Basilica to the New Basilica. It was opened in 1972, is 389 meters long and 5.85 meters wide; it is shaped like an "S", as in Saint. Every Sunday, the Passarela is taken by the pilgrims.
The Basilica of Aparecida
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The most important place of visitation is the New Basilica. In 1980, though not finished yet, it was visited and blessed by Pope John Paul II; in 1984, it was officially declared by the Bishops of Brazil as the National Sanctuary.
The architecture, of neo-romanic style, was designed by Brazilian architect Benedito Calixto de Jesus Neto. It is composed by four naves making a cross, the intersection being the cupola. The size of the Basilica is impressive, both from outside and from inside.
The Basilica has a total area of 18,000 sq. mt.; it is the second largest in the world (the largest one is the Basilica of Saint Peter, in the Vatican). Each nave is 40 meter (131 ft) high; the cupola is 70 meter (230 ft) high and has a diameter of 78 meters (256 ft); the tower is 100 meter (328 ft) high. The capacity is 45,000 sitting people and 25,000 standing; the parking loot fits 6,000 buses and 4,000 cars (most pilgrims come by bus, not only because they are poor, but also as a means of contrition).
It is estimated that 12,000,000 visit Aparecida and the Basilica every year. Two places inside the Basilica see a particular high number of visitors: the Capela das Velas (Chapel of Candles) and the Sala dos Milagres (Room of Miracles).
In the Chapel of Candles, always taken by the smoke of thousands of candles of every size, the pilgrims lit a candle to the Our Lady, either to ask, to thank or just to show faith. The Room of Miracles, in the subsoil floor, was created to keep the pieces given by the faithful; the room is taken by objects of every kind, and the walls are taken by photos.
For more information about the Basilica, visit the official site of the National Sanctuary of Brazil.
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