São Bento Monastery: Benedictine Jewelery

Led to contemplation, this is the feeling of those who enter the Basilica of the Monastery of St. Benedict. Dreaming of bringing this art to all corners, we have created a line of ornaments exclusively to honor this sacred place.

Art, beauty and sacredness

These are elements found in the Abbey Basilica of Nossa Senhora da Assunção, the fourth church to be bulit in the historic São Bento Monastery, in the city of São Paulo, and which inspired the collection of liturgical ornaments.

We were motivated by the centenary of the first Mass held in the Basilica, on the date of St. Michael – September 29. Involved by this story, we began our research. We discovered that in the middle of 1910, the city of São Paulo underwent many transformations, which motivated the construction of the new church.

The construction also brought new possibilities. His style came from the Art School of Beuron (developed at the German monastery of Beuron), and features elements of Egyptian and Greek art. The project is by Richard Berndl, a professor at the University of Munich, considered by many to be one of the best architects in Germany.

The Basilica stands out for the “art of classic beauty, rigid, with pure lines, distinct, whose figures reveal respect and attention”

“The traces of the artist’s brush are very reminiscent of the ancient illuminations used by the copyist monks. It is particularly sacral the contemplation of the paintings leading to prayer, to adoration, to retreat. Beuronese art developed in parallel with the liturgical revival and the reform of Gregorian chant, “explains Frei Gregório Oliveira Ferreira, Osb.

“Holy Sanctorum” (Holy of Holies)

The initial vestment wishes to honor the most sacred place of the temple, the Chapel of the Santíssimo Sacramento, which at the entrance invites the visitor: “Venite adoremus” (Come, we worship!). Its frescoes gave the direction to create the embroidery, but for this it was necessary a further deepening in the history of the Benedictine Monastery.

The Chapel has darker shades than the central nave of the Basilica. This semi-darkness is intensified by the dark green tone of the walls, which leads its visitors to retreat and silence. The environment is full of details, each element has a sense, a reason to be there, giving the place all the beauty and care it deserves. Every corner has an ornament to contemplated.

This special atmosphere provided subsidies for the creation of the first collection of ornaments made in Brazil. “This idea was based on the desire to have clothes inspired by places that are icons of the Catholic Church in the country,” explains owner partner Dulci Benchaya.

During the liturgical year of 2014 the company presented each of the vestments of the São Bento Monastery Collection and achieved another dream. “We feel part of this history and therefore, we embrace the opportunity to be promoters of such beautiful arts, that reflect Benedictine spirituality,” concludes Dulci.

* Artists who painted the Chapel of the Santíssimo Sacramento: Brother Clement Frischauf, OSB and Dom Adelbert Gresnicht, OSB.

Get to know the vestments developed for the Collection of the São Bento Monastery – São Paulo.