A Church and a chapel

In the Serra do Mar, between Ubatuba and Taubaté lies the town of Redenção da Serra.

Going to Redenção coming from Taubaté the first thing you see is a derelict church with a wall around it and some houses on the edge of a muddy end of a lake. This is the old church. Redenção used to be a nice little place in a valley.

It was the first town in the state of São Paulo to free its slaves; on the 10^th of February 1888, even before the “Lei Aurea” came into power on May 13 1888. Also because of this fact in the first half of the last century the name of the town was changed from Santa Cruz de Paiolinho to Redenção da Serra. Driving into town right across the bridge there is a large statue to commemorate the abolition. The statue was made by José Demetrio, a well known local sculptor in the Paraiba valley.

In the 70-ties the demand for electrical energy was growing. The solution to the problem was to build a dam in the Paraibuna river. Then the dam came…. And the old town of Redenção was flooded. The church on the high ground still stands but is slowly falling apart. Now it is protected by a wall against the water. When we were there the water level was low. But the water can rise until almost the top of the wall.

For the inhabitants there was no option to stay. They either could go away and start a life in another city or they could move to a new town on the hill a kilometer to the east.

The new town is build on a steep hill. In the middle is a square with a bandstand. Every Saturday morning you can listen there to typical music from the countryside. 

But there are also other cultural happenings. When we were there The “Prismáticos”, a street circus group from Argentina, were performing for the children of Redenção.

A bit to the side of the town lies a chapel with great views to the lake. The chapel is not used, but it has beautiful bright colored murals painted in the eighties by Mestre Justino (born in Redenção). 

It is a pity that the chapel lies derelict. The paintings have been restored and deserve to have more admirers. The perfect place to enjoy the view on the end of the day….. 

High Places

We were lured into a church once with the promise that we could go into the dome by elevator. The view would be fantastic. So pushing myself to be brave (I simply don’t like heights) we paid rather a lot to get in. Entering the church we saw some scaffolding in the middle and a building site elevator. First I thought they were working on the roof. How stupid of me… 

This was the way we were supposed to go up. The elevator was a see through elevator. So as we got higher the hole under me started growing to immense proportions. I knew there was only this thin floor between me and this gaping depth. Coming to the platform we saw what next they had in store for us. We had to walk over this wobbly platform to a lot of stairs going up to great heights. 

I couldn’t move, let alone take pictures, let alone enjoy the view. And I really didn’t want to go any higher. Everything was moving just a little. As soon as the elevator arrived to go down again I somehow managed to get in.

And then happened what happens always when you don’t reach the top of whatever you are climbing….. I wondered if I should have gone up further. When you are down and safe you feel challenged to go up again.  

So look at these brave men: Going up with a building site elevator, without a protective church around them. Hanging just a bit over the edge of their little “comfort zone” to untie important knots in the many cables of these high cranes. The wind blows; these are the men in real high places…..