Inaugurated in 1954, São Paulo’s Sé Cathedral is 111 meters long, 46 meters wide, 65 meters high (to the top of the dome) and 100 meters high with two towers on the façade. With such grandeur, its basement can go unnoticed by many and remain a place surrounded by legends. However, a guided tour of the Cathedral Crypt is enough to change that.
During the tour of the temple – the 5th largest neo-Gothic building in the world – the monitor in charge tells you a little about the Cathedral’s history. Among the topics, the public discovers more about the elements, sculptures, works and symbols present in the building.
In addition, visitors have the chance to visit the “secret” Crypt (underground chapel) which was inaugurated 35 years before the rest of the church, in 1919.
Visit the Cathedral Crypt
Located below the main altar of the Cathedral, the vast hall supported by several Gothic columns and arches, the Crypt houses 30 burial chambers for the sarcophagi of bishops, cardinals and archbishops of the archdiocese of São Paulo.
According to the institution, 17 chambers are occupied and another 13 are empty. As well as members of the church, important figures from the history of Brazil and São Paulo are also buried there. For example, the Grand Chief Tibiriçá of the Guaianás, who played an important role in the founding of São Paulo.
In addition to Tibiriçá, another illustrious figure in the Crypt is Regent Feijó, ruler of Brazil during the Regency period. There is also part of the remains of the priest Bartolomeu Lourenço de Gusmão, a Brazilian who received the first patent for an invention in 1707.
Finally, one last curiosity is that, according to the Archdiocese of São Paulo, it is estimated that it will take three to four centuries for all the chambers to receive the members of the institution’s high clergy in São Paulo.
How to visit?
The guided tour of the Cathedral Crypt takes place every day.
- From Monday to Saturday, from 9am to 5pm, and on Sundays, from 12.30pm to 4.20pm.
- Price: R$12 per person; payment is made on the spot.
- Always check in advance, as tours may change.
- Contact: (11) 3107-6832
In addition, today there are Concerts in the Crypt, which are free of charge. The program is available on the <shortcode data-tag=”trackLink” 0=”link_url=”official page[/trackLink] and all you have to do is choose yours to visit the place in this even more special way.
Another event that also takes place there are the famous Candlelight concerts. With works by the greats of classical music, the event transforms the space into a truly intimate and welcoming musical chamber.