Yesterday, we visited the Museu de Arte Sacra de São Paulo, a museum dedicated to the
collection and display of sacred art of Brazil.
Founded in 1970, it was magnificent.
There before us were art treasures 100-400 years old. There were paintings and sculpture. Most of
them you could actually touch, though occasionally on particularly old or frail
items there would be a sign requesting the viewer not to do so. The only things seriously protected were
bejeweled and precious metal statuary.
The museum, located in the Luz neighborhood
of Sao Paulo in the left wing of the Luz monastery, was founded in 1774 by Frei
Galvão. The monastery is considered the most outstanding colonial building of
the eighteenth century in São Paulo to preserve its original building elements,
materials and structure.
 |
| Museu de Arte Sacra de São Paulo |
It was listed in Brazil as an architectural
monument of historic importance in 1943. We saw the original construction of the
walls and flooring. Nearly three feet
thick, the walls are stacked blocks made from clay, ground animal excrement,
sand, small stones, and blood. Probably
the blood was used as a binder. Blocks
typically measured about 3 x 4 x 2 feet.
Each block, of course, was made by hand, but owing to high humidity here
in SP, notably took about nine months to dry. So, the stacking was delayed. In a time, when the Church measured time in
centuries, the monastery took correspondingly about a century to complete.
 |
| Artifact in Chapel |
The monastery still functions,
both as a charming church with ornate imagery, and with a convent for thirteen
cloistered nuns. The cloistering is complete with the nuns living on the second
floor above the museum. The upstairs
windows are well shielded from any view inside or the glass is frosted. Throughout
the facility there are passages so the nuns may move about unobserved and
attend mass, which they do from a view-shielded enclosure at the rear of the
chapel. They even have a private cemetery area on the
grounds. They do have at least one
activity beyond the religious duties, and that is they bake bread and other
goods for sale in the Museum. We bought
some.
For me, living a mostly secular
life in the 21st century the proximity to a way of life so very
different from provided an interesting contrast. When I was young and growing up in Milwaukee,
there were convents and monasteries all about.
There were cloistered nuns and monks in the community. It was an alternative though accepted pathway
in life. Today, with an emphasis by the
church on outreach, it seems a little strange. These nuns, given to a (stated) life
of contemplation and prayer to God, seem to have chosen a life out of step with
even their own sponsor.
A final note. When the population of thirteen nuns was
mentioned, you may have thought the order is fading from existence. But no, this is the steady state. When one of their members dies, she is
replaced by another. Yes, they have a wait-list. The novice spends eight years in service meditation
prior to taking final vows. That takes commitment!
Next time you’re in São Paulo, check out this rare find.
Comments
Post a Comment
Please Comment.