Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Igreja Matriz de Santo Antônio
Rua da Câmara at Padre Toledo • Daily 8am-5pm; concerts Fri 8.30pm • R$5; organ concerts R$30 •
T
32 3355 1238
Begun in 1710 and completed around 1730, the
Igreja Matriz de Santo Antônio
is
one of the earliest and largest of the Minas Baroque churches; in 1732 it began to
acquire the gilding for which it is famous, becoming in the process one of the
richest churches in any of the mining towns. The church was decorated with the
special extravagance of the newly rich, using more gold, the locals say, than any
other church in Brazil, save the Capela Dourada in Recife. Whether this is true -
and Pilar in Ouro Preto is probably as rich as either - the glinting of the gold
around the altar is certainly jaw-dropping. The beautifully carved soapstone panels
on the facade (1810) are now not thought to be by Aleijadinho, as some still
believe, but by his pupil, Cláudio Pereira Viana, who worked with the master on
his last projects. Linger on the steps of the church to enjoy the view of the old town,
framed by the crests of the hills - if you had to take one photograph to represent
Minas Gerais, this would be it. Popular
organ concerts
(40min) take place in the
church every Friday at 8.30pm.
2
Museu da Liturgia
Rua Jogo de Bola 15 • Fri 1-4.30pm, Sat 10am-4.30pm, Sun 10am-1pm • R$10 •
T
32 3355 1552
he
Museu da Liturgia
, a relatively new, stylish religious art museum, inside the
shell of the old Casa Paroquial next to Santo Antônio, is a little more creative
than your average
museu de arte sacra
. Inside, galleries use interactive exhibits
and meditative background music (in addition to the usual paintings, votive
sculptures and vestments) to shed light on aspects of Catholic tradition,
ceremonies and theology.
Museu Padre Toledo
Rua Padre Toledo 190 • Tues-Sun 10am-5pm • R$10 •
T
32 3351 1549
Next to Santo Antônio church, the
Museu Padre Toledo
honours one of the
Inconfidêntes and is located in his old mansion (this is where the conspirators first
met in 1788). Toledo (who was pastor at Santo Antônio between 1777 and 1789)
obviously didn't let being a priest stand in the way of enjoying the pleasures of life;
the two-storey
sobrado
must have been very comfortable, and even though the ceiling
paintings are dressed up as classical allegories, they're not the sort of thing you would
expect a priest to commission, featuring, as they do, so much naked flesh. The museum
comprises the usual mixture of furniture and religious art (some painted by Manuel da
Costa Ataíde), but the most curious part is the old slave quarters in the yard out the
back, now converted into toilets.
Igreja da Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos
Praça Padre Lourival • Tues-Sun 10.45am-5pm • R$3
There is no more eloquent reminder of the harsh divisions between masters and
slaves than the small
Igreja da Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos
, a chapel built
by slaves for their own worship. here is gilding even here - some colonial miners
were freed slaves working on their own account - and two fine figures of the black
St Benedict stand out, but overall the church is moving precisely because it is so
simple and dignified.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
TIRADENTES
By train
The local steam train service, the
Maria
Fumaça
, leaves Tiradentes station (Praça Estação; ticket
office Wed & Thurs 9-11am & noon-5.45pm, Fri & Sat
9am-1pm & 2-5pm, Sun 9am-2pm;
T
32 3371 8485,
W
trilhosdeminas.com) for the 12km ride to for São João
del Rei on Fri & Sat at 1pm & 5pm and on Sun at 11am &
2pm (R$40 one-way, R$50 return; 35min).
By bus
The rodoviária is in the centre of town off Rua
Gabriel Passos. Buses leave regularly for São João del Rei
(every 30min; 30min; R$3.40), from where you can
