| Congonhas - Churches - Bom Jesus de Matosinhos Sanctuary |
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Bom Jesus de Matosinhos Sanctuary |
View of Passos da Paixão Church and Chapels |
Esteemed with the title of Mankind Cultural Heritage, Bom Jesus de Matosinhos
Sanctuary is the prime work of the greatest brazilian artist of the baroque period, Antonio Francisco Lisboa, known as Aleijadinho. He was the
author of the 12 prophets sculpted in soap stone, adorning the access stairway to the interior of the church, besides creating the statues of
“Passos da Paixão”, that are part of the set.
The sanctuary started to be built in 1757, by orders of Feliciano Mendes, who
wanted to thank the saint for the cure of a serious disease contracted while working in the gold mines. Mendes hired the best artists of that
time to work in the construction, but he died in 1765, before the construction was finished, in 1773.
The authorship of the blue prints of the church are unknown, but everything makes
it to believe that it was Mendes himself, since he knew “Bom Jesus de Matosinhos” and “Bom Jesus de Braga” churches, in Portugal, which served
as inspiration for the temple built in Congonhas. The towers of the major chapel are slightly inclined and the interior of the nave has
sculptures of several authors. The ceiling’s painting is from Bernardo Pires da Silva and, under the chorus’ roof there are paintings from
Mestre Athaíde, picturing Abraão, Isaac and Jacó. The front might have been inspired by Senhor da Cruz Church, at the city of Barcelos, Portugal.
Over the altar there are reliquaries made by Aleijadinho.
Before arriving to the church, though, it’s necessary to go up a stairway. There
are the 12 prophets sculpted by Aleijadinho between 1800 and 1805. The statues were made after he has finished the 66 sculptures representing
“Passos da Paixão”. Among the prominences there is “Profeta Ezequiel”, sculpted entirely by Aleijadinho in two stone pieces, which subsequently
were united in the waist region. “Profeta Daniel” is one of the most perfected and was sculpted in only one stone block.
In the back of the church there’s the room of “ex-votos”, with a collection of
objects left by believers as payment of promises. Besides visiting it during day time, it’s possible to visit it during the night, when it’s
possible to see the special lights enhancing the beauty of the sculptures.
Bom Jesus de Matosinhos Sanctuary and all its patrimony, besides being registered
as Mankind Heritage by Unesco, is also registered by IPHAN (Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional) as National Historic and
Cultural Heritage.
Address: Praça da Basílica
Phone: 55-31-3731-3100 |
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