Catedral Metropolitana Ortodoxa


The Catedral Metropolitana Ortodoxa or the Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral of São Paulo, also known as the Orthodox Cathedral of São Paulo, is a cathedral of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch, located at 1515 Vergueiro in Paraíso, Vila Mariana, São Paulo, Brazil. Dedicated to Saint Paul, it is home to the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of São Paulo and All Brazil. It is one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the world, and a fine example of Byzantine Revival architecture.

History

Construction of the cathedral began in the 1940s, inspired by the Hagia Sophia, and built under the supervision of Paul Taufick Camasmie with the architects Francisca Galvão Bueno and Igor Sresnewsky. Joseph Trabulsi was personally selected by King Farouk of Egypt to participate in its decoration. Wladimir Krivoutz worked on the cathedral's marble iconostasis.
The Catedral Metropolitana Ortodoxa was inaugurated in January 1954, along with the celebrations of the IV centenary of the city of São Paulo, and consecrated by Patriarch Elias IV and Metropolitan Ignátios Ferzli.