Mariana, founded in 1711 under the name of Vila do Ribeirão de Nossa Senhora do Carmo, lies 12km/7.5mi east of Ouro Preto and 108km/67mi south-east of Belo Horizonte. It has preserved a large number of 18th century churches and chapels, most of them built by Antìnio Francisco Lisboa, known as Aleijadinho, and Mariano da Costa Ataíde, a native of Mariana - the two leading practitioners of Minas Baroque.
A number of beautiful churches and buildings lines Praça João Pinheiro. Of particular note is São Francisco de Assis with a number of significant paintings.
This little seminary, with the chapel of Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte (1750), has paintings by a number of Minas Gerais artists. The ceiling painting in the church choir is rated the masterpiece of Antìnio Martins da Silveira, who contrives in this work to create an illusion of space in a very restricted area.
One particularly fine secular buildings in Mariana is the Casa de Alphonsus de Guimarães, with furniture and personal objects belonging to the Symbolist poet of that name.
One particularly fine secular buildings in Mariana is the Casa do Barão do Pontal, with soapstone balconies whose openwork ornament has the delicacy of lace.
The church of Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos (Our Lady of the Rosary of the Blacks) was built between 1752 and 1775; the ceiling painting in the choir was the work of Ataíde (1823).
The church of São Pedro dos Clérigos (1752, restored 1989) has a ground-plan of two overlapping ellipses, forming the nave and choir - a characteristic Baroque feature. The high altar has paintings by Ataíde. The massive towers were added in 1920.
The church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição (1709; national monument), 20km/12.4mi north of Mariana in the commune of Camargos, is a typical example of early Minas Baroque.
The Mina de Ouro da Passagem (gold mine), which was opened up in 1837 and closed down in 1984, lies in the Passagem de Mariana district, 4km/2.5mi south-west of the town center. The workings cover an area of
17sq.km/6.5sq.mi. There are conducted tours of the mine, with explanations of the mining process.
In the church of São Caetano (1730), 24km/15mi east of Mariana in the district of Monsenhor Horta, is the tomb of the bandeirante Salvador Fernandes, who founded the town of Mariana.
In the district of Santa Rita Durão, 22km/13.6mi north of Mariana, are the churches of Nossa Senhora de Nazaré and Nossa Senhora do Rosário. The former has four paintings by Manuel Rebelo e Sousa (who was also responsible for the ceiling painting in the choir of Mariana Cathedral). The ceiling paintings in the choir and principal chapel of N.S. do Rosário are by João Batista de Figueiredo, Ataíde's teacher.
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Cathedral
