A cone, not a spire
Architect Edgar de Oliveira da Fonseca designed a 75-metre cone, 106 metres across at the base, often compared to a Mayan pyramid.
Urban Tales › Rio de Janeiro › Metropolitan Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro
Metropolitan Cathedral: the history, and the cone with four windows of light
A concrete cone in downtown Rio that looks nothing like a traditional cathedral, until you step inside. Here's what you're looking at, and what to listen for when you get there.
Built1964–1979
ArchitectEdgar Fonseca
Height75 m
Stained glass4 windows, 64 m tall
Hear the Metropolitan Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro story, in the app's voice
A short preview. The full story plays on its own when you walk up to it with Urban Tales.
Three stories most visitors miss
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2
Four rivers of colour
Four stained-glass windows run 64 metres from floor to ceiling and meet in a cross of light at the top.
3
Room for thousands
The column-free interior holds about 20,000 people standing.
TipGo inside around midday, when the light through the stained glass is strongest. With Urban Tales running, the cathedral's story plays as you reach Avenida República do Chile.
Nearby landmarks
Metropolitan Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro: common questions
When was Rio's Metropolitan Cathedral built?
Between 1964 and 1979.
Who designed Rio's Metropolitan Cathedral?
Architect Edgar de Oliveira da Fonseca.
How many people fit in Rio's Metropolitan Cathedral?
About 20,000 standing.