Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Congonhas

The Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Congonhas in Minas Gerais, Brazil, consists of a church with a Rococo interior, an outdoor stairway decorated with statues of the prophets and seven chapels illustrating the Stations of the Cross, which are masterpieces of a highly original form of Baroque art.

Congonhas is a historical Brazilian city located in southeastern Brazil, situated 90 km (56 mi) south of Belo Horizonte, the capital of the state of Minas Gerais.

The city is known for its basilica and associated soapstone sculptures commissioned by Portuguese adventurer Feliciano Mendes in the 18th century.

The Sanctuary was built in the 18th century. It was created by Antônio Francisco Lisboa, better known as Aleijadinho, one of the world's best artists in the Baroque style. The twelve sculptures of old testament prophets around the terrace are considered one of his finest works.

The church, with its magnificent Italian Rococo interior, is a masterpiece of the Baroque style, reflecting in its architecture and ornamentation the transition period in which it was built.

In 1985, the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Congonhas was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Sanctuary is located on top of the Morro do Maranhão, a bluff in the Serra do Ouro Branco, part of the Espinhaço mountain range. Steep, cobbled streets of the Historic Center of Congonhas approach it.

The Sanctuary consists of a basilica with a magnificent Rococo interior, an outdoor stairway decorated with statues of the prophets, and seven chapels illustrating the Stations of the Cross, in which the sculptures are masterpieces of a highly original and expressive form of Baroque art.

Standing high on a platform reached by a slightly curved, divided staircase carrying on its parapets statues of the twelve prophets in soapstone (pedra sabão), this sanctuary is approached via a ramped forecourt between six chapels marking Stations of the Cross (the Passos).

The soapstone statues and the polychrome wooden sculptures depicting scenes of Christ’s Passion housed in the chapels stand as a crowning achievement of the creative genius of Antônio Francisco Lisboa, Aleijadinho.