Igreja de NS do Rosário dos Pretos

Minas Gerais


Downhill from the center you'll find Diamantina's oldest church, built by black slaves in 1731. Don't miss the tree out front with a cross embedded in its trunk; according to legend, it sprang up here as a divine sign to prove the innocence of an 18th-century slave who was falsely accused of stealing diamonds.


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1. Igreja de NS do Carmo

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Adorned with rich, golden carvings and a gilded organ made in Diamantina, this is the town’s most opulent church. Constructed between 1760 and 1765, its…

2. Casa da Chica da Silva

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This fine colonial mansion was the home of diamond contractor João Fernandes de Oliveira and his longtime partner, the former slave Chica da Silva, whose…

3. Mercado Municipal

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4. Santo Antônio Cathedral

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Built in colonial style between 1930 and 1940 on the site of a much older church, Diamantina's cathedral dominates the historic center.

5. Museu do Diamante

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