CENTRAL WEST BRAZIL - Brazil - page 298

Exploring Brasília
The capital of Brazil, Brasília,
is shaped like an airplane in
homage to what was then
the incipient jet age. While
to its north and south lie the
residential wings, the Eixo
Monumental (see pp302-303)
forms the body of the jet, with
the city's major attractions.

Praça dos Três Poderes
Eixo Monumental. Congresso
Nacional e Anexos Tel [phone]
1771. # 9-11:30am & 3:30-4:30pm
Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat & Sun. 7
Palácio do Planalto Tel (061)
3411 2042. # 9:30am-1:30pm
Sun. Palácio de Itamaraty Tel
[phone]. # 3-5pm Mon-
Fri, 10am-3pm Sat & Sun. Palácio
da Justiça Tel [phone].
# 9-11am & 3-5pm Mon-Fri.
This vast square is flanked by
buildings that form the locus
of the Brazilian government.
The axis of the federal state,
the Congresso Nacional e
Anexos is a harmonious
fusion of lines and curves,
creating the most monumental
and timeless architecture in
the city. On the other side of
the square are the seats of two
other branches of power -
the Palácio do Planalto , the
executive office of the presi-
dency, and opposite it, the
Supremo Tribunal Federal , the
Supreme Court headquarters,
which is closed to the public.
Immediately below this
group of buildings are the
Palácio de Itamaraty and the
Palácio da Justiça , two of
Brasília's few buildings that
are more aesthetic than monu-
mental. The latter's Modernist
columns seem to rise gently

The interior of Santuário Dom Bosco, bathed in blue light

from the lily pond lying at its
feet to form smooth arches.
Inside is a vast hall decorated
with fine sculpture and
paintings. The highlight is 19th-
century artist Pedro Américo's
O Grito de Ipiranga , depicting
the moment when Dom
Pedro I proclaimed Brazilian
Independence (see p52) .

R Santuário Dom Bosco
Av W3 Sul, Quadra 702. Tel (061)
3223 6542. # 7am-7pm Mon-Sat,
7am-noon & 2-8pm Sun. ^
The city's finest church
honors the 19th-century
Italian visionary saint and
founder of the Salesian order.
His proclamation that a new
civilization would arise in the
third millennium between
the 15th and 16th parallels of
latitudes, inspired Kubitschek
to build Brasília on the edge
of an artificial lake. The stun-
ning interior features an
almost seemless panoply of
glass, which ranges from light
to dark blue and indigo, as it
ascends. In the late afternoon,
shafts of light penetrate the
building, illuminating the
marble statue of the Virgin
and the vast cross whose
vertical was carved from a
single piece of tropical cedar.
The church was blessed by
John Paul II on his 1980 visit.

R Catedral Militar de
Nossa Senhora da Paz
Canteiro Central do Eixo
Monumental Oeste. Tel [phone]
3858. # 8am-7pm daily.
This brilliant white triangular
church, with its jagged
windows and vast gable,
echoes the French Notre
Dame du Haut, designed
by Niemeyer's mentor, Le
Corbusier. It was completed
in 1991, and was built to
house the papal altar used
by John Paul II on his visit
to Brasília in 1980.

Quartel General
do Exército
Setor Militar Urbano .
At the northeastern end of
the Eixo Monumental, this
vast complex of imposing
buildings is set in a sea of
lawns and watched over by
a towering obelisk. It was
built during the military dic-
tatorship and was intended
to show the presence of
military power in the gov-
ernment, which was notably
absent from the Praça dos
Três Poderes. The intimidating
stature of the buildings con-
veys Niemeyer's objective of
constructing something grand
for the generals. He was
determined that the monu-
mentalism of these generals
should not be eclipsed by
that of President Juscelino
Kubitschek (see p58) .

Templo da Boa Vontade
Setor Garagem Sul 915. Tel (061)
3245 1070. # 24 hrs daily.
Many religions, some
orthodox, some decidedly
alternative, thrive in and
around Brasília. This marble
pyramid with open sides was
built to reflect the ecumenical
attitude towards spirituality
which characterizes the city.
The building's geometry is
based on multiples of seven
in accordance with sacred
numerology. The sides rise
to 69 ft (21 m), the cavernous
nave spans 92 ft (28 m), and
spiral steps wind around
the interior. The central
portion of the temple is
illuminated by light, filtering
through an enormous and
priceless rock crystal found at
Cristalino in Goiás.

Palácio da Justiça with lily pond
in the foreground

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp384-5 and p409