Today our study abroad group went to Olinda, which is a city just north of Recife. The older section of Olinda has many buildings, especially cathedrals, which date back to the mid-to-late 1500's. Catholicism definitely has had a large impact on Brazilian culture and it's easy to see why. Just in old Olinda we must have passed by at least 10 Catholic churches.

The church pictured above is Santo Antônio do Carmo, which was built in 1580. We also visited the monastery of São Bento. 

The altar is covered in gold leaf and weighs about 14 tons. It is also 13 meters tall. The painting on the ceiling shows the death of São Bento, who apparently was the only saint to die standing up. A few years ago the altar was transported to New York as an art exhibit. It is an early example of the Baroque style of art, which broke away from the classical style. As you can see below, the work on the altar has very fine details.

The work of art shown above is the first known Brazilian painting. It conveys feelings of pain and torment, as well as the desire imperfect humans have to make a connection with God. 

Originally, homes in Olinda didn't have addresses. The postman delivered letters according to the color of the house. Remnants of this tradition still persist, in that most Brazilians will use physical places to give directions instead of street names or numbers. For instance, they might say,  

 "Turn left at pharmacy,  I live in the green house on the right. "                                  

 

These are the original cobblestones first laid in the city. The black stones were called Negro's Head after the slaves who carried the stones from the beaches to the city hillsides.

From the newly constructed tower in Olinda you can see both the old city and Recife in the far background.

I believe that this is a costume some people wear in Olinda during Carnaval. During Carnaval, people from the region flood the city and meet at the main intersection where they dance, drink and just have a good time.