Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Congonhas, UNESCO Site, Congonhas, State of Minas Gerais, ss

Located in Minas Gerais, in the municipality of Congonhas, the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matozinhos was built in the second half of the 18th century and represents one of the world’s masterpieces of baroque. Inscribed in the Book of Tombo of Fine Arts by Iphan in 1939, the property was recognized as a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in December 1985.

The built complex consists of a church, with rococo style interior, walled churchyard and a monumental external staircase decorated with statues of 12 prophets in soapstone; And six chapels, arranged side by side in the front slope to the temple, called Steps, illustrating the way crucis of Jesus Christ. His inspiration is strongly related to Portuguese examples such as the Church of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga and to the Shrine of Our Lady of Remedies in Lamego, Portugal.

The 66 life-size polychrome wood carvings, housed in the six chapels that bring together the seven groups of Steps of the Passion of Christ, make up one of the most complete sculptural groups of sacred images in the world, undoubtedly one of the masterpieces of Francisco Antônio Lisboa, the Aleijadinho, that left for the humanity a work of great expression and originality.

History – The construction of the sanctuary in Congonhas began in 1757, in thanksgiving for the cure of a serious illness by the Portuguese emigrant Feliciano Mendes, who chose as patron the Bom Jesus de Matozinhos – the crucified Christ – venerated in the locality of Matozinhos, near the city In the north of Portugal. The works were financed by the alms collected for this purpose by Feliciano Mendes and, later, by his successors in the administration of the new devotion constituted in Confraria.

When the founder died in 1765, eight years after the beginning of the work, the church could already be used for worship with three of its altars already installed: the main altar with the image of Christ on the cross imported from Portugal and the two Side altars consecrated to St. Anthony and St. Francis of Paula. The building was completed in 1772 and, to the present, draws crowds as a place of religious pilgrimage, whose greatest testimony is the fabulous collection of ex-votos housed in the Hall of Miracles.

Heritage – The Church of Bom Jesus de Congonhas represents a moment of transition in evolution that takes place in the religious architecture of the mining region, in the middle of the eighteenth century. Its plant presents towers situated slightly in retreat in relation to the frontispiece and surpassing the central aisle due to the suppression of the traditional lateral corridors in that part of the building. However, the whole remains still subjected to the rigid line that characterizes the religious constructions of the region during the middle of the century, before the introduction of the curvilinear planes inspired in the style of Barromini.

The cover performed a little later includes roquette elements that do not exist in the pediment. It follows the usual pattern of the ornaments ornamented in soapstone, typical of the mining region in the rococo era. The composition is arranged around the coat of arms with the five wounds and the three nails of the crucifixion – emblem of the patron of the temple. The inner ornamentation of the church, entirely in rococo style, is one of the most remarkable of all the mining region. The first-class carvings and paintings combine in a harmonious synthesis and make the interior of this church, where golds stand out against the soft tones of blue, green and pink, a true symphony of light and color.

The style of this church, typical of the mining region, can be considered as one of the most original brands of rococo in Brazil.

The sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos presents itself in a good state of conservation allowing its materiality to express the importance and values attributed to it, representing a unique artistic achievement and exceptional example of Brazilian architecture of the XVIII century.

The edified and sculptural ensemble of the Sanctuary preserves its intrinsic values: the Church of Bom Jesus; The altar with the statues of the prophets in soapstone; The steps and chapels with their seven seasons both completed in 1805 and expressive sculptural set representative of the Passion of Christ. In spite of the transformation process that has taken place with the urban growth of the city of Congonhas, due to the intense process of iron mining, the Sanctuary remains intact and constitutes, to this day, an icon of religious art and religiosity in Brazil.

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