Church of Saint Peter of the Clergymen, 18th-century baroque church in Mariana, Brazil

The Church of Saint Peter of the Clergymen is a baroque building with an unusual floor plan based on two interlaced ellipses and a rectangular section for the sacristy. Two towers accent the facade, and the interior contains large wooden sculptures and a distinctively designed altar area.

Founded in 1731 by the Brotherhood of Saint Peter of the Clergymen under Bishop Dom Manuel da Cruz, the church was entrusted to Portuguese builder José Pereira dos Santos with Manuel Francisco de Araújo. Ground was only prepared in 1753, and work advanced in fits and starts until it was abandoned around 1820 with the towers unbuilt. Father-architect Arthur Hoyer completed them between 1920 and 1922 in a somewhat different style.

The church was founded in 1731 by the Brotherhood of Saint Peter of the Clergymen, made up of secular priests. Look for the carved roosters and the medallion inscribed tibi dabo claves caelorum, symbols of Saint Peter. The large statue of Saint Peter holding the keys of heaven was brought from Porto to Mariana in colonial times.

The church stands in Mariana's historic centre, and the Archiepiscopal Archive of Mariana is housed in the building attached to it. The interior is unfinished, so expect bare walls and niches rather than full decoration; the sacristy occupies the rectangular rear module behind the two elliptical naves.

The high altar is the only finished piece inside, carved from cedar and never gilded or painted. Look for the carved roosters and the medallion inscribed tibi dabo claves caelorum, both symbols of Saint Peter. The large Saint Peter statue holding the keys of heaven was brought from Porto to Mariana in colonial times.