Igreja de São Francisco de Assis

Top choice in Minas Gerais


This exquisite church is Brazil's most important piece of colonial art, after Aleijadinho’s masterpiece The Prophets in Congonhas. Its entire exterior was carved by Aleijadinho himself, from the soapstone medallion to the cannon waterspouts to the Franciscan two-bar cross. The interior was painted by Aleijadinho’s long-term partner, Manuel da Costa Ataíde.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Minas Gerais attractions

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3. Museu do Oratório

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7. Mina do Chico-Rei

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This 18th-century treasury building still retains its historic foundry, where gold was melted down and formed into bars under the watchful eye of the…

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