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Church of Our Lady of Mercy and the Misericord (Mercês de Cima)
Ouro Preto, Vila Rica, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Religious Architecture
The Brotherhood of Our Lady of Mercy of the parish of Nossa Senhora do Pilar was established in the mid-18th century and initially functioned in the Chapel of Saint Joseph. The brethren obtained ecclesiastical permission to build their own church in 1771; the following year, the construction contract was awarded to Henrique Gomes de Brito, a native of the city of Porto. The image of Our Lady of Mercy was transferred to the new church in late 1773, even though it had not yet been finished: the roof of the nave was only started in 1774. Inácio Pinto Lima and Manuel da Rocha Monteiro were contracted to do some of the carpentry work and to design the crossing arch in 1783. The finishing work dragged on for many years, during which time the parts of the church that had already been built began to fall into decay. The work for the reconstruction of the main body of the church apparently began in the late 18th century. Manuel Francisco de Araújo was hired in 1793 to “produce the designs and conditions for the construction of the chapel”. The original project of the frontispiece was altered. The solution that was adopted was to build a single central tower, as well as a pediment and pilasters of neoclassical design. In 1810, clearly influenced by the Master Aleijadinho, Manuel Gonçalves Bragança, a mulatto, carved the low-relief medallion of Our Lady of Mercy on the portal, inserted in a rococo cartouche surrounded by shell forms and surmounted by two angels holding the crown. The high altar includes the old image of Our Lady of Mercy and the images of Saint Peter Nolasco and Saint Raymund Nonnatus. The four side altars are extremely simple pieces, as are the two wooden pulpits.
Cláudia Damasceno Fonseca