SOUTHEAST BRAZIL - Brazil - page 123

dates from 1760 and is also
referred to as the Basílica
da Sé. Its exterior is modest,
but the interior has some of
the finest ceiling paintings by
the 16th-century Portuguese
artist, Manuel Rabello de
Sousa. It also contains an
exquisite 18th-century
German organ and altarpieces
by Francisco Xavier de Brito,
and a portal and lavebo
attributed to Aleijadinho.
The organ was a gift to the
diocese when Mariana was
the foremost city in inland
Brazil. Restored in 1984, it can
be heard during regular
weekend organ recitals.
Just around the corner to
the south of the basilica is
the most interesting of the
civic buildings, the Museu
Arquidiocesano de Arte Sacra .
This preserves paintings by
Athayde, objets d'art by
Aleijadinho, and antique
liturgical objects. Its façade
is crowned with a medal
by Aleijadinho.
R Basílica de Nossa Senhora
da Assunção
Rua Direita. Tel [phone].
# 6am-8pm Tue-Sun.
E

Praça Gomes Freire in Mariana, lined by fine 18th-century houses

Mariana 5
*

from the late 18th century and
sit next to each other in front
of the colonial building, the
Casa de Camara.
The church of São Francisco
de Assis is decorated with
ceiling paintings by Manuel
da Costa Athayde, who was
buried in the church.
Especially worth seeing are
the evocative scenes of
the death of St. Francis,
showing the saint in
serene contemplation in
an Italian pastoral land-
scape, combined with
the Brazilian landscape.
The Nossa Senhora do
Carmo also has striking
paintings by Athayde.
Although damaged by
fire in 1999, the church
is still remarkable for its
delicately balanced and very
Portuguese exterior. Known
for its gentle curves and round
towers, it also has exquisite
lozenge-shaped key windows.
The city's other famous
church is the Basílica de Nossa
Senhora da Assunção , which

Praça Tancredo
Neves, [phone].

47,000. @ n

The oldest colonial town in
Minas Gerais, Mariana, which
was also a significant mining
town, was the capital of the
state in the first half of the
18th century and far
more important than its
immediate neighbor,
Ouro Preto.
The simple
18th-century Basílica de
São Pedro dos Clérigos
stands on top of the
city's only hill. From
here, there are specta-
cular views of Mariana's
small colonial center.
The main focus of the old
town is the Praça Gomes
Freire , a lovely garden square
surrounded by 18th-century
town houses. A short distance
west of Praça Gomes Freire
are the twin churches of São
Francisco de Assis and Nossa
Senhora do Carmo . Both date

Unique
window in
Mariana

Museu Arquidiocesano
de Arte Sacra
Rua Frei Durão. Tel [phone]
2516.

8:30am-noon & 1:30-
5pm Tue-Sun.

#

&
R Nossa Senhora do Carmo
Praça Gomes Freire. # 1-4pm daily
(timings may vary depending on
the curator).
R São Francisco de Assis
Praça Gomes Freire. # 9am-4pm

daily.

View of Mariana and the twin churches from Basílica de São Pedro dos Clérigos