Santuário do Bom Jesus de Matosinhos

About Santuário do Bom Jesus de Matosinhos

The sanctuary was built in the 18th century as a major pilgrimage church in the gold-rich region of Minas Gerais. Between roughly 1800 and 1805, Aleijadinho carved the twelve soapstone prophets for its terrace, working despite the disease that had crippled his hands. The ensemble of the prophets and the Passion chapels made Congonhas a supreme monument of Baroque art, recognised by UNESCO.

The Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos in Congonhas is one of the great masterpieces of the Baroque in the Americas and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its terrace is famous for twelve life-sized soapstone statues of the Old Testament prophets, carved by Aleijadinho, Brazil's greatest colonial sculptor, in a dramatic, emotionally charged style.

Twelve Prophets in Stone

Aleijadinho carved the twelve monumental statues of the prophets, including Isaiah, Jeremiah and Daniel, that line the grand staircase and terrace before the church, each figure rendered with intense expression and movement that bring the Baroque drama to life in stone. Below, a series of chapels contains painted wooden sculptures depicting the Passion of Christ. Created in the early 19th century, the prophets are regarded as the crowning achievement of colonial Brazilian sculpture.

The Experience

You climb to the church terrace to find the twelve great prophets arranged dramatically against the sky, each a powerful, expressive figure, then visit the chapels below with their vivid Passion scenes. The theatrical staging of the sculptures, the emotion in the carved faces and the story of their disabled creator make the visit moving. The hilltop setting adds to the sense of pilgrimage and grandeur.

Why It Matters

The Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos is the masterpiece of Aleijadinho and one of the finest Baroque monuments in the world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its prophets represent the pinnacle of colonial Brazilian art and a high point of the Baroque in the Americas.

Why Visit

Aleijadinho's masterpiece, twelve dramatic life-sized stone prophets on the terrace of a Baroque pilgrimage church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Congonhas.