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All Brazil Pernambuco Old Petrolandia Church

Old Petrolandia Church

The haunting peak of an old church is all that remains of a drowned Brazilian city.

Pernambuco, Brazil

Added By
Chris White
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Igreja Sagrado Coração de Jesus   Bruno Capelii / CC BY-SA 3.0
Igreja Sagrado Coração de Jesus   Bruno Capelii / CC BY-SA 3.0
Church of Old Petrolandia   Andre Estima on Flickr
The Old Petrolandia Church before it sunk in the water.   Luíz Gonzaga
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About

With just the top of the old church emerging from the reservoir of the state's largest hydroelectric dam, and the citizens of Petrolandia moved away from the rising waters, what was once known as just Petrolandia is now known definitively as “Old Petrolandia."

While the newly named old village has no solid plot to call its location it is generally associated with the arched gothic dome of their former church which still pokes its head out above the water level. The church's brick facade makes it appear to be a factory or something similar, but the archways that stand clear of the water tell the true story of the strangely haunting relic. While Old Petrolandia was still inhabited, the church must have been the centerpiece of the town with its tall arch.

The hydroelectric plant that spurred on the flooding of Old Petrolandia still hums along, using the waters of the man-made reservoir to make power for the new city. However, no matter how hard it may have tried to wipe away the memory of the old city, not even the promise of clean, futuristic energy can totally erase the traces of Old Petrolandia.      

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Churches Ruins Underwater Drowned Towns Flooded Towers Sacred Spaces

Community Contributors

Added By

Chris White

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Martin, hrnick, zydeko, aribrown...

  • Martin
  • hrnick
  • zydeko
  • aribrown
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • Patrick Keedy Brown

Published

January 22, 2015

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Sources
  • http://abandonedography.com/post/64875678255/petrolandia-is-home-to-one-of-brazils-largest
  • http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1556148/Petrolandia
  • http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2298091/Haunting-images-churches-world-drowned-make-way-man-dams-reservoirs.html
Old Petrolandia Church
Unnamed Road
Pernambuco, 56460-000
Brazil
-9.021279, -38.265059
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Castelo Armorial

Sao Jose Do Belmonte, Brazil

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Brazil

Brazil

South America

Places 143
Stories 44

Nearby Places

Castelo Armorial

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Brazil

Brazil

South America

Places 143
Stories 44

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