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Although there are numerous colonial gems in Minas Gerais, Ouro Preto without doubt constitutes the architectonic crown jewel of the entire region. Located 96 kilometers southeast of Belo Horizonte at nearly 1,200 meters above sea level, it is accessed over a winding road in approximately two hours of driving time. Viewed from the bus station above the city, the visitor marvels at the many splendors it presents to the eye. Anyone wishing to become acquainted with all it has to offer should plan to devote at least three days to doing so, as a one-day excursion from Belo Horizonte simply does not allow enough time to absorb the unique atmosphere of this small Baroque city, which has been declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.
History
Founded in 1711 as Vila Rica (City of Riches), the city supplanted Mariana as state capital 10 years later. By the mid19th century, 300,000 people were already living in the 15 towns scattered around the mining region of "Vila Rica," whose mineral riches contributed significantly to the flourishing of architecture and culture in the Minas region. A plan for the city's growth, a new phenomenon in colonial Brazil, was instituted in 1720. The city's name was changed to Ouro Preto (Black Gold) in 1823 owing to the discovery of gold deposits in black ironoxide-rich rocks.
One man in particular left his mark on Ouro Preto, as well as other communities in this region, with his incomparable works: Antbnio Francisco Lisboa, popularly known as O Aleijadinho, or the "Little Cripple," who was born in 1730 in Lisbon. At the age of 47, he contracted a mysterious disease similar to leprosy and consequently lost all his fingers and toes. He learned architecture from his father, Manuel Francisco de Costa Lisboa, who was also an architect, and in 1750 entered an academy of arts and crafts where he studied sculpture, carpentry, drawing and wood carving. One of his most important masters in the art of sculpture was the Lisbon-trained Joao Gomez Bautista.
Aleijadinho contributed two side chapels to Nossa Senhora do Carmo, which was built by his father, and in 1766 began work on his masterpiece, the faqade of the Franciscan church of Sao Francisco. After he fell ill in 1777, it became necessary to carry him to work. Later, he had his hammer and chisel tied to the stumps of his arms and concealed his disfigured face behind a shawl. In 1805, he completed his incomparable statues of the Twelve Prophets, as well as the 64 superb sculptures at Congonhas do Campo. These were his last great works, and he never again accepted any large commissions. In 1812, the artist went blind. Aleijadinho died in poverty two years later. |
