Chapel reopens in SP after discovery of bones reveals slavery past

The Chapel of Nossa Senhora das Almas dos Aflitos - considered one of the oldest and most historic religious buildings in São Paulo - will reopen this Saturday (27).

Located in the Liberdade neighborhood, central zone of the capital of São Paulo, the site was part of the city's first open-air cemetery, aimed at enslaved people, indigenous people, indigents and those sentenced to death in the old Largo da Forca in 1779.

The reopening event will feature a mass at 10am and will also celebrate the 247th anniversary of construction. The restoration began in April 2025 and more than R$3.2 million was invested in the modernization, accessibility, preservation and revitalization of the historic space.

- Carollo Arquitetura e Restauro

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With the works, the chapel received adequate lighting, the facade was redone, the candlelight was rebuilt, the rammed earth masses that showed severe erosion were consolidated, the benches were restored, as well as the roof and the sacristy and a place was also built for the burial of human remains found in archaeological research.

A clock that was lost in the 1950s will also be reintroduced. In addition, the location will now have general accessibility such as map and tactile floor, audio and pounds.

- Disclosure
In 2024, the cause received R$ 2 million through a notice from Proac, the Secretariat of Culture, Economy and Creative Industry of the Government of São Paulo and the Ministry of Culture, by Carollo Arquitetura e Restauro, responsible for the work, in partnership with Unamca, but new resources were needed.

In 2025, the City of São Paulo, through the Municipal Secretariat of Culture and Creative Economy, released R$1.2 million to Mitra Arquidiocesana de São Paulo, owner and administrator of the chapel.

- Archeology process
União dos Amigos Capela dos Aflitos
June 27th also celebrates the anniversary of the União dos Amigos Capela dos Aflitos (Unamca), created in 2018, with the aim of preserving the site and its history.

"The renovation of the Chapel was highly requested by residents, especially from the black community, to have a space telling part of their history in the Liberdade neighborhood. It is a great achievement to be able to deliver this space to the city", says Totó Parente, Municipal Secretary of Culture and Creative Economy.

The entire process of revitalizing the space was marked by archaeological discoveries, such as five to ten people buried, which confirms the historical use of the area as part of the Cemitério dos Aflitos, dating from 1775 and active until the mid-19th century.

- Carollo Arquitetura e Restauro
Indigenous and African people and their descendants were buried there. The executions of these people took place in Campo da Forca, which is today Praça da Liberdade, and those whose bodies were not mutilated ended up buried around the chapel.

For years, the Capela dos Aflitos received several interventions, for example, in 1779, when it was inaugurated, the space was smaller and later expanded. In 1890, it underwent a major renovation, as in 1960. In 1994, restoration was necessary after the fire, which is unknown, but is believed to have been caused by the electrical part and the restoration that began in 1995 was not completed.

Excerpt from the report sent to Iphan in 2018 - Iphan
Over time, the chapel's situation worsened, until in 2018, the construction of a building next door caused cracks in the walls and caused the roof to cave in, which led to infiltration. In the same year, Unamca emerged to take care of the chapel's care and request the necessary resources for the restoration. Work on the building next door was interrupted, starting a new process of redefinition of the area.

The Memorial dos Aflitos will also be built in the chapel, to preserve the history of the neighborhood. And in November this year, in Black Awareness Month, a book is scheduled to be released on the site's archaeological excavations and on heritage education.

Source: CNN