Grotto of Pedra Furada
| Grotto of Pedra Furada | |
|---|---|
| Location | Laranjeiras (Sergipe, Brazil) |
| Length | 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) |
| Geology | limestone cave |
| Entrances | 1 |
The Grotto of Pedra Furada (Portuguese: Gruta da Pedra Furada), also known as the Refuge of Pedra Furada (Portuguese: Abrigo da Pedra Furada), is a limestone cave in the Machado district of Laranjeiras, Sergipe, Brazil.
The cave's entrance is located approximately 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the city center of Laranjeiras and is one of 16 caves in the municipality. The cave has been damaged over time by limestone mining. Limestone removal from the site has ended, but the partial destruction is notable. It remains a site of Catholic and Afro-Brazilian religious celebrations.[1]
The grotto was the site of early Jesuit (Society of Jesus) activities in the region. The Society held mass in the grotto during the Dutch invasion of Brazil. According to local legend, the Jesuits used a tunnel from the Grotto of Pedra Furada to access Church of Our Lady of the Conception of Comandaroba to continue to celebrate mass.[2] The church is approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the cave entrance; if confirmed, the tunnel would be the largest in the state of Sergipe.[3][4][1]
Protected status[edit]
The Grotto of Pedra Furada was listed as a protected structure by the state of Sergipe in 1990.
Access[edit]
The Grotto of Pedra Furada is located on private land but may be accessed.[3]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Christiane Ramos Donato; Adauto Souza Ribeiro (2011). "Caracterização dos Impactos Ambientais de Cavernas do Município de Laranjeiras, Sergipe". Caminhos de Geografia (in Portuguese). 12 (40). ISSN 1678-6343. Wikidata Q105668891.
- ^ Navarro, Fredson (2014-02-20). "Projeto quer transformar grutas de Laranjeiras em trilha ecológica". G1 (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-02-25.
- ^ a b Jorgenaldo Calazans dos Santos; Maria Augusta Mundim Vargas (2018). Laranjeiras e as práticas do espeleoturismo no estado de Sergipe (in Portuguese). pp. 139–140. ISBN 978-85-7822-607-7. Wikidata Q105653164.
{{cite book}}:|journal=ignored (help) - ^ Christiane Ramos Donato; Isabel Cristina Barreto Andrade; Michele Amorim Becker; Emanuella Santos de Carvalho; Heleno Dos Santos Macedo (21 January 2019). "A sustentabilidade das práticas de espeleoturismo no município de Laranjeiras, Sergipe". Scientia Plena (in Portuguese). 14 (12): 1–13. doi:10.14808/SCI.PLENA.2018.125304. ISSN 1808-2793. Wikidata Q105653228.
