Saint Bartholomew Mother Church
Ouro Preto/MG
Description:Igreja Matriz de São Bartolomeu (Saint Bartholomew Mother Church) is located in the Saint Bartolomeu district, in the surroundings of Ouro Preto. It is of unknown authorship and has a compact, rectangular floor plan composed of nave, chancel, sacristy and side corridors. It has square section towers and a choir above the nave, as well as an independent wooden structure. The Church walls are in big hand-made sun-dried bricks. However, the side corridors and sacristy are walled in stone brickwork. This Church has a gable roof and arched mud tiles, except the towers, which have hip roofs. The floor is covered with floorboards, except the nave, which is contains floor tombs, and the sacristy, which is covered with mud bricks. The wooden ceiling has no decorative paintings. Inside, the rich works in the retable carvings stands out. The forecourt is partially surrounded by walls and has a stone staircase. The carvings of the altars, choir and pulpits are wooden, as are the void structure and framings. The wooden bell stands out. The Church one of the first mother churches in the State, inserted in the first mining settlements in Minas Gerais.
Situation:This Church belongs to the Archdiocese of Mariana and still holds Catholic ceremonies. Some conservation work took place in the second half of the 19th century. In 1980, IEPHA carried out a partial restoration, which included the nave roof cleaning. In 2001, IEPHA replaced some wood pieces from the chancel ceiling. The bell was recuperated in 1997. According to the data from a fieldwork done in 2003, this Church is in a good state of conservation.
Inventory information:This building was listed on March 4, 1960, process 604-T-60, registration number 453, in the Fine Arts Book, vol. 1, p. 84.
