Parish Church of Saint Antony, Colonial church in Tiradentes, Brazil

The Parish Church of Saint Antony is a religious building at the center of Tiradentes with a pale facade, stone balustrades and two bell towers. The rectangular interior houses carvings, paintings and an organ from Portugal built in the 18th century.

A first wooden chapel rose around 1702 after gold was found in the Serra de São José. Construction of the masonry church began in 1710 with the Brotherhood of the Blessed Sacrament, and by 1732 only the floor and ceiling were missing. Between 1807 and 1810 the whole front was replaced by a Rococo design by Aleijadinho, built by mason Cláudio Pereira Viana, who added the balustraded forecourt around 1813.

The gilded wooden altar and side chapels show the work of local artisans from the 18th century. The parish community still uses the space for services and concerts featuring the historical organ.

The church faces a forecourt with stone balustrades, completed around 1813, and iron gates installed in the 1840s. The soapstone sundial carved in 1785 by Leandro Gonçalves Chaves stands in front of the building. The tower clocks, installed in 1788, still keep time.

A stone sundial from 1785 decorates the outer wall and still shows the time of day. Local craftspeople carve small replicas in soapstone and sell them as souvenirs in the town shops.