Mosteiro de São Bento (São Paulo)

This Benedictine monastery in downtown São Paulo traces its origins to the late sixteenth century, though the present basilica was rebuilt in a Rhineland-inspired style early in the twentieth. Its interior glows with gilded altars, painted ceilings and stained glass, and the monks are famous for Gregorian chant sung at services. A shop beside the church sells breads, cakes and jams baked by the community. The building stands beside a metro station on the edge of the financial district, a serene enclave amid the towers.