The Cathedral of St. Sebastian (Portuguese: Catedral São Sebastião), also called Ilhéus Cathedral, located in the historic center of Ilhéus, Bahia in Brazil, is the Roman Catholic cathedral of the Diocese of Ilhéus.
Considered one of the most beautiful churches in the state, São Sebastião Cathedral was inaugurated in 1967.In 1927, at the end of Mário Pessoa’s first government, the São Sebastião chapel was demolished so that a cathedral could be built in its place.
The project of the cathedral is by the architect Salomão da Silveira, in a style considered eclectic. Bishop Eduardo José Herberold, a newly-arrived bishop, blessed the land in 1931, where the Cathedral was to be built and work began, only to be halted soon afterwards.
This imposing temple of the Catholic Church has represented the dream of the Ilheense community for over thirty years. It represents the dream of the bishop who started the construction work, D. Eduardo, who was buried in the church itself and is idolatrous to this day, being considered a saint by many of the faithful. The cathedral was inaugurated in 1967, and took more than thirty years to be built.
The size of the church is impressive. Its main dome is 48 metres high. Although it cannot be considered a masterpiece of architecture, it has an enormous cultural value, for what it represents for the local society and for the tourist activity of the municipality.
According to testimonials, the “wonder of wonders was its inauguration”. That day the city was invaded by bishops and cardinals. Even the Pope’s representative, the Apostolic Nuncio, Sebastião Baggio, came for the inauguration. And the choir of the teacher Maria de Lurdes Abreu sang Haendel’s The Messiah. On the inauguration day, the Cathedral looked like a miniature Vatican, such was the beauty, pomp and circumstance of that celebration.
Its façade boasts meticulous neoclassical details, such as artistic stained-glass windows, vaults and columns.
The majestic exterior contrasts with the discreet and simple interior.
