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Eglise et Monastère de Sao Bento, Rio de Janeiro

Property names are listed in the language in which they have been submitted by the State Party.

Brazil (Latin America and the Caribbean)
Date of Submission: 06/09/1996
Criteria: (i)(ii)(iv)
Category: Cultural
Submitted by: IPHAN / MINC
State, Province or Region: Rio de Janeiro
Ref.: 36

Description

The monastery of S.Bento stands on one of the four hills which were landmarks in the heart of Rio de Janeiro in the sventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It was begun in 1617, and steadily thereafter extended and enriched by remarkable 'talhas' (wood carvings) and paintings - the works of architects, sculptors, engravers and painters - throughout the seventeenth, eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, always adapting to changing tastes, but never losing a sense of unity. The same observations might be made of the more recent buildings near the monastery - a secondary school and a hostel - thanks to the sensitivity and discernment shown by the Benedectine community which still inhabits the monastery.