In order to increase the church's symbolic aspect over its immediate surroundings, a requalification of the plaza was necessary to highlight its plaza/church axes, defined by an imaginary line that crosses them longitudinally. Amplifying the plaza limits, a continuous flow along with the church and its staircase was created, which emphasizes the importance of the church over other buildings and unifies them.
© Leonardo FinottiDesigned by Sotero Arquitetos, the project is remarkable due to the number of complex actions it comprises, which ranges from small to wider scale, urban furniture design to traffic infrastructure deployment and landscape design. The project's goal focuses on the pedestrian experience instead of vehicles, reorganizes the traffic system, and rescues symbolic aspects of such a relevant religious site.
© Leonardo FinottiThe role of the Holy Water chapel, alongside the Candles chapel, is to offer visitors access to the Holy water, creating sensorial experiences connected to the chapel materiality and light effect inside the building. The volume, which has only one frontal opening, promotes timelessness and sacredness perceptions that remote to convents cells.
© Leonardo FinottiMaterials also contribute to rescuing the site history, such as parallelepiped and Portuguese stone floor, with black and white stone compositions, which evoke cultural icons as the strip, or “Bonfim measure”. It has approximately 45 cm and was used as a template in almost all the projects.
and wood was chosen for streetlight supports and benches.
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Wooden ex voto and photos that line the walls of the room
Brasil as seen during the approach to the church
The church itself was begun in 1745 and finished being built in 1772
but it is in a room to the left of the nave that the unique nature of the church becomes clear
Worshippers watching a Sunday service in the main church from the ex voto room
and even parts of the floor are covered in ex-voto. Ex-voto are tokens left by people praying for recovery from illness
healthy delivery of a longed for child or people giving thanks for a kidney transplant
the good fortune for buying their first house or opening a business. And the ex-voto are bold and clear statements: Photographs of children before and after tumor removal, wax or wooden effigy’s of breasts and kidneys
or photo of the epaulettes someone received on promotion in the military police
and a letter imploring for success in exams
Fita de Lembranca are ribbons that are tied to the railings outside the church marking prayers made by visitors
Each day the number of objects changes; some removed and replaced by others more pressing or more present. The feeling in the room is emotional
as sobs are often heard echoing through the space
Upstairs in the church is a museum with ex-voto over the ages—paintings of ships wrecked on rocks painted by a lone survivor
a bullet and a dented coin placed in the church by someone who survived death at the hands of a robber
kidney stones preserved after an operation and brought to the church to demonstrate thanks, spectacles
and crutches abandoned following miraculous cures
naval caps line the wall on the way up the stairs marking promotions and the shirts from players in different Brazilian world cup winning teams
Wax ex-voto hanging from the ceiling of the small room
And if the ex-voto practice isn’t enough of an expression of gratitude
the church has another fascinating tradition
On the Thursday before the third Sunday in January each year ,the faithful of the Candomble religion
walk the six kilometers from the lower city in the centre of Salvador to the Bonfim church and wash the steps in thanks and devotion to Oxala
a local god. The practice is said to have been started by a devotee who vowed to wash the entire church each year in gratitude for surviving the war with Paraguay that ended in 1870; others began to join the practice in thanks for the blessings that they too had enjoyed during the past year.
Soon the annual thanks giving had been adopted by worshippers of Candomble and in 1889 the then Bishop banned the supplicants from entering the church and since then the washing has involved only the front steps of the church and followers of Candomble who worship at the church in respect of Oxala continue to do so outside
not entering but drawn by its power nonetheless
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2023 shows the church of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim in Salvador
2023 shows a street view at Pelourinho in Salvador
Local artists perform the Capoeira in Salvador
Celebrated on the second Thursday of the year
the traditional washing of Bonfim’s staircases is considered the second largest popular manifestation of Bahia
thousands of faithful members gather in the Lower City
to participate in masses and in one of the largest religious walks in the state
which takes place between the Church of Our Lady of Conceição da Praia
this is an “invitation itinerary”
where we put together several tips to make your Lavagem do Bonfim be one of the unforgettable experiences of your life
The popular festivals are part of Bahia’s essence
they represent surrender and dedication to a greater good
a union of sacred and profane that we can only see here
locals and tourists will have beautiful surprises when they arrive at the Church of Our Lord of Bonfim
There was a great restoration throughout the Sacred Hill area
the interior of the church is being completely restored
The hill’s patio has also been requalified
The celebration begins in front of the Church of Our Lady of Conceição da Praia
The processions go out one by one towards the Church of Bonfim
Our Lord of Bonfim is syncretized with Oxalá
It is very beautiful to see all sorts of devotees walking together
we begin a walk of approximately 8km to the Church of Our Lord of Bonfim
They don’t have a right time (nor is it told) to leave
so you have two options: one is to stay tuned and walk with them from Conceição da Praia
The Baianas’ procession leaves at around 9:30am
another mass is celebrated late in the morning
which has been happening for more than two centuries
The Sacred Running has been held for over 30 years
organized by Bahia Athletics Federation (FBA) and opens the street race calendar for Salvador city
Participants invade the streets of the Lower City at high speed
The Start is in front of the Church of Our Lady of Conceição da Praia
before the Baianas’ groups leave in procession
Gyms throughout the city also form their private groups
lively and traditional street races in Salvador
The race marks the beginning of the festivities
as it has also become a tradition of Salvador
(Popular sentence said at Lavagem do Bonfim festival which means “Whoever has faith will go on foot”.)
beginning with the very Church of Our Lady of Conceição da Praia
Then you’ll pass by two postcards: to the right side
Elevador Lacerda (the elevator connects the Lower City to the Upper City) named in honor of the engineer who built it
On the left side is the famous Model Market (Mercado Modelo) with its almost 300 stores that sell handicrafts and local souvenirs
there is the Gold Market (Mercado do Ouro)
where you’ll find one of the best restaurants to eat steaks in Salvador: Filé do Juarez
besides the inclined plane that connects the Lower City to Santo Antônio Além do Carmo
São Joaquim Fair (one of the most iconic popular fairs in the city) is on the left side and on the right side is the Church of the Orphans of São Joaquim
there is the train station that connects the Lower City to the Suburban Railroad of Salvador and
there are the Social Works of Sister Dulce (Obras Sociais de Irmã Dulce)
there’s only one straight line till the Sacred Hill
Throughout the course you go through food and drink stalls
feijoada in people’s houses and in the commerce
besides the traditional coffee carts that put up speakers
competing to see who is more creative and adorned
It is very common to have closed parties such as the Lavagem promoted by Carlinhos Brown
which receives artists at Museu du Ritmo for good performances
as many procession groups go out with their own micro trios (little music trucks)
as well as samba bands that play on the street
Many of these people go to fulfill a religious vow but to make everything lighter and more relaxed
Getting to the Sacred Hill is an emotion that is hard to describe
saint people bathe the crowd in herbs and everything smells of rue herb and lavender
Seeing so many people in one purpose touches your soul
leaving you with joy and hope that fill your eyes with tears
It is also common to see people on their knees
It is at this party that we understand why the church’s railings are so full of colorful ribbons tied on them
A lot of people take turns tying their Bonfim ribbons and making their wishes
try to kneel side by side with so many faithful people
look through the railings and you will see that many Baianas are washing the front part of the church
the baianas begin to wash the church and staircases with their brooms
The square in front of the Church of Bonfim is full of people
it is usual for groups of friends to go back by having parties inside boats
schooners and motorboats through All Saints Bay
so get your friends together and schedule your return before you even go
the tip is to walk back to Largo da Calçada and get an authorized motorcycle taxi from there to take you back to Elevador Lacerda
We’ve prepared a perfect songs list for this experience
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St Anthony of Padua’s tongue or “doubting” Thomas’s finger at Santa Croce in Rome
has been a source of both fascination and repulsion to me: at a time when we should be celebrating the triumph of the spirit over the mortal body
it seems bizarre to cling on to the decayed physical remains of the person whose death we are celebrating
I made a visit to the Igreja Nosso Senhor do Bonfim in Salvador
Brazil whose Sala dos Milagres (Room of Miracles) has walls covered with photos and testimonials on slips of paper
thanking Senhor do Bonfim for his miracles
On the ceiling hang the ex-votos offered by parishioners – wax or plastic replicas of body parts (arms
representing those who were cured or need curing
This expression of devotion finds its musical expression in Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu Nostri patientis sanctissima (The most holy limbs of our suffering Jesus)
which I will perform with the English Concert orchestra at Wigmore Hall
It is a rare musical ex-voto from a composer whom Bach admired so much that
and stayed nearly three months to hear him play
Bach would go on to write two of the most revered penitential works of the musical canon
but Buxtehude’s oratorio inhabits a different world
each referencing a different part of Christ’s body: feet
with strophes from the great medieval hymn “Salve mundi salutare”
One might imagine the piece would be a dark
but what stands out is the music’s transcendental beauty
where many composers would take the text “Clavos pedum
et tam graves impressuras” (the nails in your feet
the hard blows and such harsh wounds”) and paint a gruesome harmonic sound-world of dissonance and painful suspensions
Buxtehude instead takes inspiration from the second part of the sentence “circumplector cum affectu” (I embrace lovingly)
throughout the seven movements there is a sense that the membra are relics that must be kept as a reminder
not only of the horror of Christ’s crucifixion
I spent my 20s as organist at a number of churches: St George’s Chapel
as the organ was largely silent until Easter Day (some churches even cover the organ pipes as well as the altar cross)
the combination of sermons and the quiet purity of Byrd
Tallis and Taverner sung by the choir under Simon Preston made me realise the enormous power of the musical rhetoric contained
in a seemingly simple chord progression in a Lassus mass
This paring down of musical gesture is not so much a simplification as a distillation and intensification
and that is what is so moving in Buxtehude’s masterpiece
The choice of a lean orchestral texture (just two violins
cello and organ for most of the movements)
the possibility of a narrative structure rejected in favour of a reflective
seems a million miles away from the theatricality and virtuosic orchestrations of Bach’s passions
I wonder whether one of the things that Bach took away from his visit with Buxtehude was the power of making the biggest impact with the smallest gesture: when Bach gets to the moment of Christ’s death
he portrays it with devastating simplicity
View image in fullscreenHarry Bicket with the English Concert orchestra
Photograph: Stephanie BergerMembers of the English Concert orchestra like to talk as much about “speaking” with our instruments as we do about “singing”: not just the meaning but also the sound and taste of the words are incorporated into the mix
And when one has the luxury of texts such as Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu Nostri
dass ich Wassers gnug hätte and Schütz’s motet Die mit tränen säen
like the wax limbs tied with ribbons on the wall of the Sala dos Milagres
something that on the surface seems gruesome and unsettling can reveal itself to have beauty and power
who sought his own peace with a debilitating illness
Just think of it as leaving early to avoid the rush.” It is this strong sense of anticipation and redemption which is so uplifting and life-affirming
Harry Bicket and the English Concert perform Schütz, JC Bach and Buxtehude at Wigmore Hall, London W1, on 2 April. englishconcert.co.uk.
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Link Copied!0Debate“It means my dream has come true
but it’s just the beginning,” said Ismael Bonfim when asked about what it means for him to fight under the UFC banner
With a career record of 20 victories and 4 defeats
the Brazilian fighter is all set to write the next chapter in his story in the Octagon against Nazim Sadykhov after his mesmerizing victory against Vinc Pichel at UFC 310
‘Marreta’ aims to continue his winning streak against ‘Black Wolf’ who is yet to be defeated under the UFC banner
many fans have expressed their confusion about Ismael Bonfim’s religion as well as faith
ahead of his anticipated comeback to the Octagon
both started their martial training from a young age
Ismael Bonfim made his professional debut in 2011 and since then he has achieved amazing feats in his MMA career
considering the fact that his name closely resembles an Islamic name
A post shared by Gabriel Bonfim (MARRETINHA⚒️🔥) (@gabrielbonfi)
His surname, ‘Bonfim’ originates from the Nosso Senhor Do Bonfim, who was a revered Catholic saint in Bahia, Brazil. During colonization, indigenous and African surnames were replaced with Catholic ones to avoid racial prejudice and forced religious assimilation. Over time, Bonfim became a symbol of cultural adaptation and resilience. If we were to look at the ancestral roots, then we could witness that the ‘Bonfim’ surname traces its roots back to England and Ireland.
So what does the surname specifically mean? Well, according to ‘Crest and Arms’ the term Bonfim means ‘Good end’ or ‘Good finish’ and the surname has been associated with Christianity for a long time now. Well, now that we know about Bonfim’s religion, let’s have a deeper look at his background.
What’s your perspective on:Can Ismael Bonfim's Christian faith fuel his victory against the undefeated Nazim Sadykhov in the Octagon?
The Bonfim brothers have quite a unique story. The younger brother, Gabriel͏ Bonfim started his MMA training just because his older brother, Ismael, was into it. Both of the brothers fight out of the Federal Dis͏trict, Braz͏il. When asked about what would he have become if he hadn’t embraced his MMA journey, Bonfim emphasized that he never wanted to be anything else, “I never wanted to be anything other than a fighter,” said Ismael.
He further added, “We have a very good family; they all support us a lot.My mother, my older brother and my sisters did everything to help us realize our dream, so they were just as happy when this happened, maybe even happier than us.” No͏t͏ much inform͏ation has come to light about their͏ f͏ami͏ly sinc͏e͏ ͏the͏y st͏ay out of th͏͏e͏ ͏pu͏blic eye, but͏ their elder br͏other,͏ mother͏, an͏d͏ sisters͏͏ ͏͏͏were supportive of th͏e brothers͏’ endeavors.
Gabriel and Ismael have another brother, Odair, who is also a fighter. However, not much is known about him. Ismael Bonfim will be clashing with Sadykhov soon. What’s your take on their clash? State your thoughts in the comments below.
0 DebateWhat's Your Perspective OnCan Ismael Bonfim's Christian faith fuel his victory against the undefeated Nazim Sadykhov in the Octagon?
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