Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Congonhas


World Heritage Identification Number: 334

World Heritage since: 1985

Category: Cultural Heritage

Transboundary Heritage: No

Endangered Heritage: No

Country: 🇧🇷 Brazil

Continent: Americas

UNESCO World Region: Latin America and the Caribbean

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A Glimpse into the Baroque Masterpiece: Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Congonhas

The Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Congonhas, nestled in the heart of Minais Gerais, south of Belo Horizonte, stands as a testament to the rich cultural heritage of Brazil. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, this architectural marvel boasts an intricate blend of Baroque and Rococo styles, showcasing the genius of the renowned Brazilian sculptor Aleijadinho.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

This sanctuary in Minais Gerais, south of Belo Horizonte was built in the second half of the 18th century. It consists of a church with a magnificent Rococo interior of Italian inspiration; an outdoor stairway decorated with statues of the prophets; and seven chapels illustrating the Stations of the Cross, in which the polychrome sculptures by Aleijadinho are masterpieces of a highly original, moving, expressive form of Baroque art.

Encyclopedia Record: Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos

The Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos is an 18th-century Roman Catholic basilica in Congonhas, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It was designed in the Baroque style with an Italian-inspired Rococo interior. The basilica is noted for its grand outdoor stairway with statues of Old Testament prophets. The interior has seven side chapels which illustrate the Stations of the Cross; each has a polychrome sculpture made by the artist Aleijadinho and his assistants. They are considered masterpieces of an original, moving, and expressive form of Baroque art. The basilica was listed as a historic structure by the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN) in 1939, and designated it as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.

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Additional Site Details

Area: 2.19 hectares

UNESCO Criteria: (i) — Masterpiece of human creative genius
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape

Coordinates: -20.508201 , -43.860806

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Image of Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Congonhas

© Antônio Ricardo Gomes de Souza, CC BY-SA 4.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)

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Country Information: Brazil

Flag of Brazil

Official Name: Federative Republic of Brazil

Capital: Brasília

Continent: Americas

Population (2024): 211,998,573

Population (2023): 211,140,729

Population (2022): 210,306,415

Land Area: 8,358,140 sq km

Currency: Brazilian real (BRL)

Country Data Sources

Last updated: January 18, 2026

Portions of the page Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Congonhas are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset and on text from the Wikipedia article Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes made. Additional original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.

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