Sights in Ouro Prêto
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Mina do Chico-Rei
Mina do Chico-Rei, or Encardadeira, is an abandoned mine. There’s little to see as you stoop through the low passageways, but it’s the perfect place to meditate on the fascinating story of Chico-Rei.
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Igreja de Santa Efigênia dos Pretos
The Igreja de Santa Efigênia dos Pretos, built between 1742 and 1749 by and for the black slave community, sits atop a steep hill east of town. Santa Efigênia, patron saint of the church, was the queen of Nubia, and the featured saints – Santo Antônio do Nolo and São Benedito – are black. The slaves prayed to these images that they wouldn’t be crushed in the mines. Despite its relative lack of gold ornamentation, the church is very rich in artwork. The altar is by Aleijadinho’s master, Francisco Javier do Briton, and the exterior image of NS do Rosário is by Aleijadinho himself. The church was financed by gold extracted from Chico-Rei’s mine. Slaves contributed to the ch…
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Matriz NS da Conceição de Antônio Dias
Matriz NS da Conceição de Antônio Dias was designed by Aleijadinho’s father, Manuel Francisco Lisboa, and built between 1727 and 1770. Note the eagle with downturned head and the Virgin Mary surrounded by cherubs: both stand atop images of the moon, symbolizing the Christians’ domination of the Moors. Aleijadinho is buried by the altar of Boa Morte. The Museu do Aleijadinho in the adjoining sacristy displays beautiful works by Aleijadinho and other 18th-century masters.
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Igreja de São Francisco de Assis
If you only visit one church in Ouro Prêto, make sure it’s Igreja de São Francisco de Assis, one block downhill from Praça Tiradentes. This is one of the most important pieces of Brazilian colonial art. Its entire exterior was carved by Aleijadinho himself, from the soapstone medallion to the cannon waterspouts to the Franciscan two-bar cross. The interior was painted by Aleijadinho’s long-term partner, Manuel da Costa Ataíde.
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Capela do Padre Faria
Ouro Prêto’s oldest chapel, built between 1701 and 1704, is the Capela do Padre Faria at the far eastern edge of town. Named after one of the original bandeirantes, Padre Faria, this chapel is set behind a triple-branched papal cross (1756) representing the temporal, spiritual and material powers of the Pope. Because of poor documentation, the artists here are anonymous.
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Matriz NS do Pilar
On the southwest side of town, the Matriz NS do Pilar is the second-most-opulent church in Brazil (after Salvador’s São Francisco). It has 434kg of gold and silver and is one of Brazil’s finest showcases of artwork. Note the wild-bird chandelier holders, the scrolled church doors and the hair on Jesus (the real stuff, donated by a penitent worshipper).
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Museu da Inconfidência
The Museu da Inconfidência, formerly the old municipal headquarters and jail, is an attractive building built between 1784 and 1854, on the south side of Praça Tiradentes. The museum contains the tomb of Tiradentes, documents of the Inconfidência Mineira, torture instruments and important works by Ataíde and Aleijadinho.
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Oratório Vira-Saia
In the early 18th century, local residents built numerous oratories (glass-encased niches containing images of saints) on street corners around town, to keep evil spirits at bay. Of the few that remain, there's one on Rua dos Paulistas, another on Rua Antônio Dias, and the most famous of all, Oratório Vira-Saia.
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Museu do Oratório
The Museu do Oratório is in a triple-level colonial house adjacent to the Igreja NS do Carmo. Its fabulous collection of oratories includes several in the uniquely beautiful Minas style, harmoniously integrating soapstone and painted wood.
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Astronomical Observatory
The Museu de Ciência e Técnica da Escola de Minas , in the old governor's palace north of Praça Tiradentes, features dazzling gemstones from around the world. There's also an astronomical observatory .
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Museu de Ciência e Técnica da Escola de Minas
The Museu de Ciência e Técnica da Escola de Minas, in the old governor’s palace north of Praça Tiradentes, features dazzling gemstones from around the world. There’s also an astronomical observatory.
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Casa dos Contos
Casa dos Contos is an 18th-century treasury building that doubled as a prison for members of the Inconfidência. The renovated mansion now houses displays on the history of gold – and money in general – in Brazil.
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Casa de Tomás Antônio Gonzaga
Now the seat of the municipal government, Casa de Tomás Antônio Gonzaga is where Gonzaga and the other Inconfidêntes conspired to put an end to Portuguese rule in Brazil.
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Tomás Antônio Gonzaga's house
Now the seat of the municipal government, Tomás Antônio Gonzaga's house is where Gonzaga and the other Inconfidentes conspired to put an end to Portuguese rule in Brazil.
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Igreja NS do Carmo
The Igreja NS do Carmo was a group effort by the area’s most important artists. Built between 1766 and 1772, it features a facade by Aleijadinho.
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