Brazil: Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos at Congonhas

On the way from Sao Joao del Rei to Ouro Preto, we made a brief stop in Congonhas, which has the added-in-1985 UNESCO Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Congonhas. Congonhas was another small gold town. The Sanctuary of Bom Jesus, built in the second half of the 18th-century was modeled on its namesake in Braga, Portugal. See our 2017 blog post here or here. It's the sculptures by Aleijadinho that are the showpieces of Congonhas. We had come across his work in Sao Joao del Rei and Tiradentes, but his polychrome woodcarvings in the chapels of the stations of the cross really captivated us. It finally dawned on us why all the guidebooks rave about Aleijadinho and go on and on about him.

















With lifesize figures, the scenes in the chapels are particularly evocative. And reminded us of the procession figures in Zamora, Spain (click here).









And the adjacent Romaria de Congonhas (Pilgrimage of Congonhas), a site that historically housed visiting pilgrims, is now a cultural center.





Notes to fellow travelers: getting from Sao Joao del Rei to Ouro Preto by bus was not easy without going through Belo Horizonte. Sao Joao del Rei to Congonhas is easy enough. From Congonhas, there is no direct bus to Ouro Preto. From Congonhas, there are two buses a day to Ouro Branco, from which there are three buses a day to Ouro Preto. From Congonhas there are hourly buses to Conselheiro Lafaiete, where there is one bus to Ouro Preto. That bus actually goes through Ouro Branco, but not by the terminal. It stops at the eastern side of the main square.