The Gothic Revival Architecture, also called Victorian Gothic, Neo-gothic or Jigsaw Gothic is an architectural style that marks a new period in the history of Architecture. It happened around the nineteenth century, where the world happens to live several aesthetic crises that are translated in movements called revivalists, among the several styles that have been taken up is the Gothic that happens to be referenced in Neo-Gothic Architecture.
In Brazil, during the reign of Dom Pedro II, neo-Gothic revivalism became popular. The Cathedral of Petropolis is one of the oldest neo-Gothic churches of this era, begun in 1884, but only completed in 1925, it houses the tombs of the Emperor and his family.
In Rio Grande do Sul, between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, neo-Gothic was the preferred style for the construction of temples and chapels in the regions of Italian and German colonization. One of the examples is the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes in Canela, or simply Cathedral of Stone.
In 1953 the construction of the Church began with a project by the architect Bernardo Satori. Coated with basalt stone, it is 65 meters high and has a twelve bronze bell chime that was installed in 1972.
The Via Sacra that adorns the two internal sides of the Mother Church was made by Pablo Orona Herrera, sculptor and restorer of sacred art. The paintings are made of wood and clay, with the background painting superimposed of images in clay.
The colorful stained glass windows that illuminate the Stone Cathedral of Canela represent the litany of Our Lady.
On the altar, three panels painted by the gaucho artist Marciano Schimitz portray the apparition of Our Lady, the allegory of the angels and the annunciation. The same artist signs the coats of arms of the four evangelists.
It is worth the visit to this unique architectural specimen.