Church of Saint Francis of Assisi (Ouro Preto)
The Church of Saint Francis of Assisi is a Rococo Catholic church in Ouro Preto, Brazil.
Its erection began in 1766 after a design by the great Brazilian architect and sculptor Antônio Francisco Lisboa, the so-called Aleijadinho, who also designed the carved decorations inside, which were only finished towards the end of the 19th century. The circular bell towers and the oculus closed by a relief were original features in religious architecture of that time in Brazil.
The façade has a single entrance door under a fine stone frontispiece, surmounted by a relief depicting Saint Francis receiving the stigmata. The interior is richly decorated with golden woodwork, statues and paintings, and the wooden ceiling displays a beautiful painting by Manuel da Costa Ataíde on a Marian subject, one of his best works.
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Coordinates: 20°23′12″S 43°30′11″W / 20.386645°S 43.502925°W