At the end of Rua da Câmara is the impressive Igreja de Santo Antônio, also called Igreja Matriz, or Mother Church. It is considered one of the richest churches in Brazil in the amount of gold leaf interior details. Photos of the interior are forbidden, even without a flash.
The church was built on the site of a chapel erected by bandeirantes, explorers and slave raiders who pushed into uncharted territory and expanded the borders of Brazil. The foundation was laid in 1710 and in 1752, a receipt was issued to Antônio de Caldas for gold leaf painting services. The soapstone sundail in front of the church dates back to 1785.
There are six side altars besides the main altar and the chancel or major chapel (capela mor) features outstanding wood carving. The author of the ceiling paintings is unknown. The organ mechanism was brought from Portugal in 1788 and the organ was painted in gold leaf ten years later.
Numbers on the wooden floor indicate the tombs of 116 people - from nobles to slaves - buried below.
