Igreja Matriz de Nossa Senhora do Pilar (Ouro Preto)

The Basilica of Nossa Senhora do Pilar is one of the finest examples of the Barroco Mineiro style — the distinctly Brazilian regional expression of Baroque art that flourished in the gold-mining heartland of Minas Gerais during the early 18th century. Built in 1733 at the height of the colonial gold rush, its interior is among the most gilded in South America, with estimates of over 400 kilograms of gold and silver worked into its altarpieces and carved ornamentation. The striking contrast between its restrained exterior facade and the explosively ornate interior reflects the immense wealth that gold mining poured into Ouro Preto. As part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Historic Town of Ouro Preto and protected by Brazil's IPHAN heritage institute, the basilica — granted the title Basilica minor in 2012 — remains an active place of Catholic worship and one of the most compelling monuments of colonial sacred art in the Americas.