Old Church of Petrolândia — Lake Itaparica, Petrolândia
Lake Itaparica, São Francisco River, Petrolândia, Pernambuco
Photo: Bruno Capelii / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0), as published on Street Art Utopia.
The ruin rising from Lake Itaparica at Petrolândia, Pernambuco, is the Igreja do Sagrado Coração de Jesus (Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus). Old Petrolândia was flooded in 1988 by the reservoir of the Luiz Gonzaga (Itaparica) hydroelectric plant on the São Francisco River, and in dry spells the church’s tower and part of its walls show above the water. Source Source Source Source Checked
Seen Sep 2026: Super Rádio Tupi (26 Sep 2026) reports that the tower and part of the walls still appear above the water in droughts, and that the ruins are kept off-limits because the old structure risks collapse (its header image is AI-generated, so this rests on the text). Source Reported
💡 4 things to know
- Sacred Heart, not the parish churchThe church above the surface is the Igreja do Sagrado Coração de Jesus, in the former community of Barreiras. The old parish church (Igreja Matriz de São Francisco de Assis) lies fully underwater; a diver found it at about 19 metres in 2017, according to an article published in 2026. Source Reported
- Drowned in 1988Old Petrolândia was flooded when the reservoir of the Luiz Gonzaga (Itaparica) hydroelectric plant filled in 1988; the town’s residents were moved to the present town. Source Source Source Source Checked
- It comes and goes with the waterThe church partly emerges in dry periods. Source Source Checked
- Seen by boatBrasil Paralelo reports that part of the church reappeared in 2014 and that it has drawn tourists since, with motorboat trips around it to see the dome rising from the river. Tupi says the ruins are now kept isolated because the structure risks collapse. Source Source Reported
📍 Where it is
In Lake Itaparica, the reservoir of the Luiz Gonzaga hydroelectric plant on the São Francisco River, off Petrolândia in Pernambuco, Brazil. Source Source Checked
Opens a map search for the submerged church at Petrolândia; the exact coordinates are not confirmed by a source.
🗓️ Sightings
- 1988
Old Petrolândia flooded by the Luiz Gonzaga plant’s reservoir · Brasil Paralelo
- 2014
Part of the church reported reappearing above the water · Brasil Paralelo
- 202510 Apr
Listed among Brazil’s visitable submerged towns · Xataka Brasil
- 20256 Sep
Reported to emerge partly in dry periods · Portal de Prefeitura
- 20263 Sep
Article names the visible ruin as Sacred Heart; parish church found at about 19 m (2017 dive) · Click Petróleo e Gás
- 202626 Sep
Tower and walls reported above water in droughts; ruins isolated · Super Rádio Tupi
Amber stamps mark records or reports; green stamps are dated photos. Publication dates are not camera dates.
🗞️ In the sources
Em 1988, uma cidade inteira de Pernambuco foi coberta pelas águas de uma represa, e até hoje a torre da antiga igreja reaparece quando o lago baixa
“Nas estiagens, a torre e parte das paredes aparecem acima da água e viram cartão-postal da região.”
In droughts, the tower and part of the walls appear above the water and become the region’s postcard.
Aos 5 anos, Samyr Oliveira deixou Petrolândia antes de a cidade ser engolida pelo Lago de Itaparica…
“O templo visível acima da superfície é a Igreja do Sagrado Coração de Jesus”
The church visible above the surface is the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
As igrejas que resistiram às águas
“O local onde a construção se encontra foi inundado devido à construção da Usina Hidrelétrica Luiz Gonzaga, em 1988.”
The site where the building stands was flooded because of the construction of the Luiz Gonzaga hydroelectric plant, in 1988.
✅ The facts
- Name
- Igreja do Sagrado Coração de Jesus (Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus) Source Source Source Checked
- Built
- Unknown Unconfirmed
- Builder / commission
- Unknown Unconfirmed
🔗 Related
All sources & image credits
- Super Rádio Tupi — Em 1988, uma cidade inteira de Pernambuco foi coberta pelas águas de uma represa… — 26 Sep 2026
- Click Petróleo e Gás — Aos 5 anos, Samyr Oliveira deixou Petrolândia antes de a cidade ser engolida pelo Lago de Itaparica… — 3 Sep 2026
- Portal de Prefeitura — Você sabia? A “Atlântida brasileira” em Pernambuco impressiona turistas com ruínas submersas — 6 Sep 2025
- Xataka Brasil — Poucos sabem que você pode visitar essas 5 cidades submersas brasileiras — 10 Apr 2025
- Brasil Paralelo — As igrejas que resistiram às águas — 9 Jul 2024
- Wikipédia (pt) — Petrolândia (Pernambuco)
- Hero image: Bruno Capelii / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0), as published on Street Art Utopia. A 16:9 share image was made from it with blurred sides.
Last checked: 7 November 2026 · How we verify art