Fodor's Expert Review Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Pilar

Local lore has it that 400 pounds of gold and silver leaf were used to cover the interior of Ouro Preto's most richly decorated church, built on the site of an earlier chapel and consecrated in 1733. In addition to gold- and silver-clad sculptures of cherubs, flowers, and saints, highlights of the church's interior include a beautiful series of paintings by Bernardo Pires, as well as two massive angels made in solid silver. The church building also houses the Museu de Arte Sacra (Museum of Sacred Art), which has a collection of church furnishings and sculptures attributed to Aleijadinho.