Padre Faria Chapel, Colonial chapel in Ouro Preto, Brazil

Padre Faria Chapel is a modest colonial place of worship with a simple facade, central doorway, upper windows, and a separate bell tower. The interior preserves a richly decorated altar wall covered in gold leaf with carved details that show the baroque craftsmanship of its time.

A chapel dedicated to Nossa Senhora do Carmo is said to have been founded here in the early 18th century by the bandeirante and priest João de Faria Fialho, though Cláudia Damasceno Fonseca, drawing on Diogo de Vasconcelos, holds that the chapel where he officiated was São João Batista and that this one only appeared in 1710. In 1723 the Irmandade de Nossa Senhora do Parto, made up of pardos and mamelucos, took over its administration. Around 1740 the white Brotherhood of Nossa Senhora do Rosário, expelled from Santa Efigênia, moved in, rebuilt the chapel in canga and changed its invocation. A bell and the churchyard cross bear the year 1756.

The interior decoration shows baroque craftsmanship with gilded carvings and scenes from Mary's life on the side panels. These religious works reflect the artistic expression of a prosperous community that valued ornamental devotion.

The building remains active as a place of worship and can be visited during specific hours, so it is worth checking opening times in advance. Visiting requires respect for its religious purpose and appropriate dress.

In the churchyard stands a large stone pontifical cross, the only one of its kind in all of Minas Gerais. The bell in the separate low campanário and this cross both carry the year 1756, suggesting the works were well advanced by then.