white and brown concrete building near mountain under white sky during daytime

Santuario do Caraça in Portuguese, is an unusual destination. It is as much a place of spiritual pilgrimage as it is a nature sanctuary. Established in 1774 by a Portuguese monk Brother Lourenço, Caraça has been later converted into a seminary that served as an important Catholic educational institution for 148 years. The architectural complex at Caraca consists of a neo-Gothic church bookended by the side wings of a two-story Baroque-style building that houses the living quarters, the two dining halls and various other facilities.