Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, São João del Rei
The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar (Portuguese: Catedral Basílica Nossa Sehora do Pilar), also known as the São João del Rei Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic church in São João del Rei, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is a great representative of Brazilian colonial art, which contains a rich decoration in gold, paintings and statues, being under the protection of the Institute of National Artistic Patrimony of Brazil (IPHAN).[1][2][3][4]
| Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar | |
|---|---|
| Catedral Basílica Nossa Sehora do Pilar | |
 | |
| Location | São João del Rei |
| Country |  |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Baroque |
National Historic Heritage of Brazil | |
| Designated | 1938 |
| Reference no. | 68 |
History
The history of the basilica is closely linked to the history of the city and begins at the beginning of the 18th century, when there was built between 1703 and 1704 a chapel of mud covered in straw at the top of the Morro da Forca dedicated to the Virgin of the Pillar. Around this chapel, the first of the city, formed a camp. In 1709 the chapel was burned down during the Emboabas War.[1]
A few years later the Brotherhood of the Blessed Sacrament, founded in 1711 and reserved for the wealthy white men of the town, wanted to erect a new church to replace the original chapel that was destroyed, but placing it in the center of the town. The license for the construction was granted the 12 of September 1721.
Protected status
The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar was listed as a historic structure by the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage in 1938. It is listed in the Book of Historical Works no. 68.[5][6]
References
- Bazin, Germain (1983). A Arquitetura Religiosa Barroca no Brasil (in Portuguese). 1. Rio de Janeiro: Editora Record. p. 110.
- "Diocese de São João del Rei". Diocese de São João del Rei (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2017-02-07.
- Barrett, Pam; Dar, Alyse; Bell, Brian (2007-09-01). Insight Guide Brazil. APA Publications UK, Limited.
- Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar in São João del Rei
- "São João del Rei (MG)". Brasilia, Brazil: IPHAN. 2017. Retrieved 2017-11-08.
- Fonseca, Cláudia Damasceno. "Parish Church of Our Lady of Pilar". Lisbon, Portugal: Heritage of Portuguese Influence/ Património de Influência Portuguesa. Retrieved 2017-11-08.