Igrejinha Nossa Senhora de Fátima

What makes it special

Athos Bulcão's tiles cover every outer wall, and this panel is the only figurative work he ever made in tile. The dove stands for the Holy Spirit; the star is the Star of Bethlehem.

Oscar Niemeyer designed the building. Three triangular concrete pillars carry one roof slab, and its outline is meant to recall a nun's hat.

Sarah Kubitschek, the president's wife, had the church built in a hundred days to keep a vow after her daughter recovered from a serious illness.

Inside, the side walls are painted a strong blue to match the tiles outside, and the pulpit carries the same Bulcão motif. Francisco Galeno's murals, including a contemporary Our Lady of Fátima, fill the walls.

Visiting

Walking round the outside comes first, and you can do it at any hour, because the church stands on open lawn. Start at the front steps, then go to the side and the back, where the hat shape of the roof is easiest to make out.

The doors are usually open near Mass times, so time your visit for a little before one. Once a Mass starts, you can't look round, so step back out to the lawn.

On Mass days, chairs go out on the lawn for the overflow.

Tips

The superblocks around the church are the oldest housing in Brasília and follow Lúcio Costa's original plan. A short loop through the blocks on either side shows you how the city was meant to be lived in.

On Tuesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons a priest hears confession inside, so keep your voice low if you go in then.