SEVEN RELIGIOUS SITES IN BRAZIL.

*Image courtesy of Claudio Ruiz.

4. Sanctuary of Dom Bosco

Italian Dom Bosco, the patron saint of Brasilia, had a dream in 1883 of a future utopian city, one that would rule justly and provide for the nation's people from a specific location in the new world — between 15 and 20 degrees latitude. Bosco's dream inspired the building of Brasilia and, in his honor, the Sanctuary of Dom Bosco was built precisely on the 15th parallel. All four walls of the sanctuary are made from stained glass in 12 shades of blue and dotted with white squares. The sanctuary is open to visitors 24 hours a day — by day the windows filter the sunlight, bathing the space in a soft blue, while at night the sanctuary is illuminated only by a chandelier made from 7,400 pieces of glass and symbolic of Jesus, the light of the world.