Mariana

Mariana is one of the most important historic cities of Minas Gerais . It is the oldest city of this state. In 1696, Salvador Fernandes Furtado de Mendonça created a settlement on this place for the mining of gold. Mariana was the first town in Minas Gerais that got city rights in 1711. Later, Mariana became overshadowed by neighbouring Ouro Preto .

Getting there
Mariana is located at a distance of 12 km east of Ouro Preto and at a distance of 110 km from Belo Horizonte.

Mariana can be visited by bus from Belo Horizonte but many do a daytrip to Mariana from Ouro Preto. The latter can be done bus or by train. If you take the bus, you can stop at the Mina da Passagem. The steam train is an attraction on itself and it is locally called the Maria Fumaça (‘Smoke Mary’).

Town
The central city square is the Praça da Sé. At the Praça da Sé you will find the Catedral Basílica da Sé. Nearby is the Rua Direita with its characteristic historic buildings. The Rua Direita takes you to the Praça Minas Gerais. Around this square, you will find three important colonial building: the Igreja de São Francisco de Assis church, the Igreja Nossa Senhora do Carmo church and the old prison that is now used as a town hall. If you continue ascending the Rua Direita, it will take you to the Igreja Nossa Senhora do Carmo that offers a beautiful view over Mariana. 

Attractions
Mina da Passagem
Between 1719 and 1985, large quantities of gold were dug up in this mine. The first gold was mined with slaves. Later, more and more technology was needed to mine the gold as the gold became more and more depleted. In the 1980-ties, the amount of gold was that low that mining was no longer profitable. Since then, the mine can be visited by tourists.

The mine can be entered by descending with an open car on a railway. Down the mine, a guide presents an interesting tour through the mine. Back in the open air, the guide gives a demonstration in using a pan to separate the gold from sand.

The Mina da Passagem is located at a distance of 4 km from the centre of Mariana. The bus between Ouro Preto and Mariana stops here.

Catedral Basílica da Sé
This cathedral is the oldest church of Mariana. It was built between 1709 and 1750. Manuel Francisco Lisboa designed this church, his son, Aleijadinho, made the sculptures at the front and in the sacristy. The master Althayde made part of its paintings. This church has a German church organ from 1701 that was given to Mariana by the Portuguese king.

Open : Tuesdays – Sundays 7.00 – 18.00 hours
Venue : Praça Cláudio Manoel

Igreja de São Francisco de Assis
This church dates from the later baroque, it was inaugurated in 1794. This church is known for its paintings by the Brazilian master Athayde.

Open : daily, 9.00 – 17.00 hours
Venue : Praça Minas Gerais

Igreja Nossa Senhora do Carmo
This church is situated next to the Igreja São Francisco de Assis and it dates from nearly the same time. Shortly after the restauration of this church, it was damaged by fire. The church has been rebuilt but a large part of its interior is lost forever.

Open : daily, 8.00 - 12.00 hours and 14.00 - 17.00 hours

Basílica de São Pedro dos Clérigos
This church has a special architecture. Seen from above, the contour of the church is composed of two large ellipses. The only other Brazilian baroque church with such a design is the Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosário in Ouro Preto. The interior of this church is not special, but this church offers a wonderful view over Mariana.