Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos
Brazil · Americas
About
The Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos (Portuguese: Santuário do Bom Jesus de Matosinhos) is an 18th-century Roman Catholic basilica in Congonhas, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It was designed in the Baroque style with an Italian-inspired Rococo interior. The basilica is noted for its grand outdoor stairway with statues of Old Testament prophets. The interior has seven side chapels which illustrate the Stations of the Cross; each has a polychrome sculpture made by the artist Aleijadinho (b. 1730 or 1738 – 1814) and his assistants. They are considered masterpieces of an original, moving, and expressive form of Baroque art. The basilica was listed as a historic structure by the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN) in 1939, and designated it as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.