The Baroque soapstone statues of the prophets on the outdoor stairway of the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Matosinhos in Congonhas, in the heart of the state of Minais Gerais, Brazil, are considered superb masterpieces of their creator, Aleijadinho, hailed as the best of Brazil’s Baroque sculptors. There are seven Stations of the Cross chapels lining the final passage up the mountain leading up to the stairway of the late Baroque church of 18thcentury. Dominating the town of Congonhas, the Bom Jesus church offers fine panorama of the town skyline and the surrounding countryside. For more on the region, see Colonial Brazil.
