Church of Nos Signora da Guia

The Church of Nossa Signora da Guia is an ancient church of the XVI century, preserved in its original form in Lucin, a small port town north of João Pesoa.

The construction of the cathedral dates back to 1591. The monks of the Carmelite brotherhood built the church of Nossa Signora da Guia, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the Teacher of the Lost, considered the patroness of sailors. The church is built on a high hill, from the top of which opens a panorama of the river Paraib de Norte, the Atlantic Ocean and the city of João Pesoa.

In the XVI century, the church was used as a watchtower and observation post, allowing to learn about the possible attack of the Dutch on the Portuguese territories of northeastern Brazil. This is associated with the modesty of the design of the temple – rough outer walls, made of stone, were supposed to protect the church from cannon shots.

The interior is also extremely inexpressive - white walls and a few noise niches located between narrow windows-holes. The altar carved out of sandstone is considered the largest stone altar in Brazil.

The main decoration of the building is a colorful baroque entrance, framed by five arches, decorated using stucco shells characteristic of Brazilian architecture of the XVI century. Above the entrance is a sculpture of the Mother of God.