Basilica of Our Lady of Nazareth (Basílica de Nossa Senhora de Nazaré)
The Basilica of Our Lady of Nazareth, formally the Basílica Nossa Senhora de Nazaré do Desterro, is a Roman Catholic minor basilica in Belém, capital of Pará in the Brazilian Amazon. Construction began in 1909 to a design by the Italian architect Gino Coppedè, modelled on the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. Predominantly Neoclassical and eclectic in style, the church measures about 62 metres long with towers rising some 42 metres, and houses the venerated image of Our Lady of Nazareth.
Pope Pius XI elevated the church to the dignity of a minor basilica in 1923, and in 2006 it was raised to the status of an archdiocesan Marian sanctuary. Its richly decorated interior features marble, mosaics and stained glass, while the crypt and adjoining spaces shelter the devotional life that surrounds the patroness of the Amazon. The basilica is administered by the Archdiocese of Belém do Pará.
Each year on the second Sunday of October, the basilica becomes the focus of the Círio de Nazaré, a procession that has been held since 1793 and now gathers around two million people, making it one of the largest Marian celebrations on Earth. UNESCO inscribed the Círio as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013. Throughout the surrounding two-week festival, pilgrims from across Brazil and beyond converge on Belém, and the basilica remains an active sanctuary and a powerful symbol of Amazonian Catholic faith year-round.
- Annual visitors
- ≈ 2,000,000
- Location
- -1.4528, -48.4811
- Local time
- 19:39 (America/Belem)
🕘 Visiting hours
| Mon–Sun | 06:00–20:00 |
Extended hours and crowds during the Círio de Nazaré each October.
✨ Saints & blessed venerated here
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Our Lady of Nazareth Saint
Marian title to whom the basilica is dedicated; patroness of the Amazon.
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Saint Paul the Apostle Saint
The basilica's design was modelled on Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome.
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Our Lady of Aparecida Saint
Patroness of Brazil, honoured alongside Our Lady of Nazareth.
Care & donations
Archdiocese of Belém do Pará
Offerings and Círio promesa donations accepted at the basilica and sanctuary.
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