Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Pirenópolis
PIRENÓPOLIS
, a picturesque market town of about 16,000 people, straddles the Rio das
Almas, 112km north of Goiânia in the scrubby mountains of the Serra dos Pireneus.
Founded by
bandeirantes
in 1727 as a gold-mining settlement, it's a popular weekend
retreat for residents of Brasília and often very busy during main Brazilian holidays, but
well supplied with accommodation to suit all budgets.
There's a vibrant
alternative scene
here, reflected in a handful of interesting bars,
organic cafés and New Age stores, but Pirenópolis is most famous in Brazil for its
silverwork
, mostly inset with semiprecious stones. The craft was introduced here by
hippies in the 1980s, and today the jewellery of over two hundred artisans, much of
it Asian-influenced, is sold in dozens of shops around town.
6
Igreja Matriz de Nossa Senhora do Rosário and around
Praça de Matriz • Wed-Sun 8am-6pm • Free
Right in the centre of town, the
Igreja Matriz de Nossa Senhora do Rosário
was
previously an attractive colonial edifice and the oldest church in Goiás. Tragically, it
was almost completely destroyed by fire in 2002, and although it has been rebuilt, only
parts of the walls are actually original.
The buildings surrounding the church are also very pretty. Across the street to its east,
the 1899
Teatro de Pirenópolis
often has shows that cater to tourists, while the former
cinema,
Cine Pireneus
two doors down on Rua Direita, no longer shows films but still
has its 1936 Art Deco facade.
Igreja Nosso Senhor do Bonfim
Rua Bonfim da Serra dos Pireneus • Mon & Wed-Sun 8-11am & 1-5pm • Free
The town centre's only remaining colonial church is east along the very attractive Rua
Bonfim da Serra dos Pireneus.
Igreja Nosso Senhor do Bonfim
, built in the 1750s, is
famous for its image of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim, the very impressive white statue of
Christ that was originally carried here by two hundred slaves.
Museu das Cavalhadas
Rua Direita 39 • Fri-Sun 9am-5pm • R$2
Between the remains of Rosário and the rodoviária, you'll find the small
Museu das
Cavalhadas
, located in a family's front room. The museum contains displays of
incredible carnival costumes from the
Festo do Divino Espírito Santo
, a lively and largely
horse-mounted religious festival that takes place in the town exactly six weeks after
Easter Sunday. The festival combines dances with mock battles from the Crusades, and
the costumes include ornate metal armour, demonic masks and animal heads.
Museu de Arte Sacra
Rua do Caremo • Wed-Sat 2-6pm, Sun 10am-5pm • R$2
Swimming and sunbathing spots line the river by the
Ponte de Madeira
- the old
wooden bridge linking the town centre with the Carmo
bairro
on the north bank. Just
over the bridge, on the north side of the river, the
Museu de Arte Sacra
is housed in the
Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Carmo
, a church built by slave labour in the 1750s. Pride of
place among the religious images displayed within goes to an eighteenth-century statue
of the town's patroness, the eponymous Nossa Senhora do Carmo, by local Baroque
sculptor José Joaquim Veiga Valle.
Santuário Vagafogo
Daily 8am-5pm • R$18 • Take a motorbike taxi from next to the rodoviária or from the junction of Avenida Sizenando Jayme with Rua
Joaquim Alves in the centre of town (20min; around R$15)
One very worthwhile excursion into the surrounding countryside is to the
Santuário
Vagafogo
,
a beautifully preserved patch of gallery forest with streams, swimholes,
