Our Lady of Conception Mother Church
Serro/MG
Description:Igreja Matriz de Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Our Lady of Conception Mother Church) is located in Getúlio Vargas Square, in the city of Serro. Of unknown authorship, it started to be built from the 18th century, after 1776, until the early 19th century, being the third church constructed in that settlement. Although its works began in the last quarter of the 18th century, the temple has the traditional floor plan of mother churches built in the first half of the 18th century, featuring only two singularities: the towers detached from the main body and curved walls in the side annexes along the nave. Thes square towers have hip roofs. The structure of wood and mud walls had brickwork and cement reinforcements that were added later on. The corners and void framings are made of wood, the lintels are of segmental arches and it has a gable roof. The façade, restored in the mid-19th century, received stone foundations. The frontispiece has a straight roof rafter, a spyglass and three doors with balconies protected by an iron parapet. Inside, it is paved with large floorboard graves and has smooth-board vaulted ceilings. Our Lady of Conception stands out, and it was the only figure in the Church until 1821, when it was rebuilt. Manuel Antônio Fonseca is the author of the nave ceiling.
Situation:This Church belongs to the Archbishopric Curia of Diamantina and still maintains its original function, holding religious ceremonies. It went through reforms in the 19th century, in 1872 and 1877. Some restorations were carried out by IPHAN in May, 1956, and again in February, 1959. According to the data from a fieldwork done in 2002, this building is in a good state of conservation.
Inventory information:This monument was listed on July 22, 1941, process 263-T-41, registration number 233-A, in the Fine Arts Book, vol.1, p. 52.