Minas Gerais: five cities to see works by Aleijadinho – 06/17/2023 – Tourism

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Antônio Francisco Lisboa, known as Aleijadinho, was a Minas Gerais master in baroque and rococo art. A recent survey by the Federal University of Minas Gerais attributed to the artist the authorship of an image of São Francisco de Assis Penitente, who was on guard in Cipotânea (240 km from Belo Horizonte).

There are other municipalities considered essential to discover the works of the master. We selected five cities that exhibit Antônio Lisboa’s work and offer free visits.

Ouro Preto (102 km from Belo Horizonte)

São Jorge has already been arrested in Minas. Not the warrior saint, patron of the military, but the statue made by Aleijadinho in the 18th century. Almost three hundred years later, the condemned sculpture can be visited in Ouro Preto.

“The sculpture was made for the Corpus Christi procession”, says the mayor of the municipality, Ângelo Oswaldo (PV), who is an art curator.

“She had a life-size spear. One day, during the parade, the object slipped from the saint’s hands and hit a paje. [homem que guiava o cavalo da estátua]. The religious died. The governor of the province, Bernardo de Lorena, had the sculpture arrested and taken to solitary confinement”, he adds.

São Jorge is still being held in the old Town Hall and Jail of Vila Rica, which has been turned into the Museum of Inconfidência. Tourists and devotees can visit the site from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 6 pm.

Where: Inconfidência Museum, Praça Tiradentes, 139 – Historic Center.

In addition to the statue of São Jorge, other works by the artist can be visited in Ouro Preto, such as the Church of São Francisco de Assis, designed in 1766. In 2009, the temple was considered one of the seven Wonders of Portuguese Origin in the World.

Where: Largo de Coimbra, s/n – Center. Open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm and from 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm.

Congonhas (78 km from Belo Horizonte)

At the entrance to the Sanctuary of Senhor Bom Jesus de Matosinhos is the set of sculptures called “The 12 Prophets of Aleijadinho”. “This is the artist’s masterpiece from Minas Gerais”, says Nathália Rezende, historian at the Boulieu Museum.

It is possible to see sculptures of the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Baruch, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Abdias, Habakkuk, Jonah and Naum made in soapstone and positioned in a circular way.

The set has been considered a World Heritage Site by Unesco since 1985. Next to the main temple there are seven other chapels that gather more than 60 other works by the artist.

Where: Sanctuary Square, S/n – Downtown. Open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 7 am to 6 pm.

Sabará (21 km from Belo Horizonte)

The city accumulates works documented and attributed to Aleijadinho. What’s the difference? The former have historical records that they were made by him, while those attributed had authorship confirmed after investigations by historians and researchers in the area.

Among those documented is the set of the Igreja Ordem Terceira de Nossa Senhora do Carmo. There it is possible to observe works with biblical and other Greco-Roman themes.

In the Gold Museum, there is the sculpture Sant’ Ana Mestra. The authorship of Aleijadinho for the piece was attributed by Brazilian art historian Myriam de Oliveira.

Where: Church, Rua do Carmo, sn – Centro. Open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 8am to 5pm. Museum, Rua da Intendência, s/n – Downtown. Open from Tuesday to Friday, from 10 am to 5 pm, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, from 12 pm to 5 pm.

Mariana (115 km from Belo Horizonte)

The Museum of Sacred Art exhibits five chairs and an episcopal throne made by Antônio Lisboa with rounded details that explain how decorations were made in the Rococo period of Minas Gerais.

Where: Rua Frei Durão, 49 – Downtown. Open Tuesday to Friday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm.

Felixlândia (195 km from Belo Horizonte)

The sculpture of Nossa Senhora da Piedade stands out in the church of the same name. The wooden piece was carved in 1786.

Where: Sanctuary Square – Center. Open Monday to Wednesday, 7 am to 6 pm; Thursday and Friday, from 7 am to 9 pm; Saturday, from 6:30 am to 6 pm; and Sunday, from 6 am to 9:30 pm.