Church of Our Lady of the Rock of France

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About Church of Our Lady of the Rock of France

The Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Penha de França was built between 1732 and 1771 in the settlement that formed around the Gritador gold mines, at the foot of the Serra de São José. It is the main monument of Vitoriano Veloso, the district of Prados known as Bichinho, and has been listed by the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (Iphan) since 1949.

From the outside, it is a small church with a white façade and simple lines, at the top of the village square. Inside it houses carved altars and a painted decoration in the rococo style attributed to the painter Manoel Victor de Jesus, active in the São João del-Rei and Tiradentes region at the end of the 18th century.

One explanation for the place’s nickname is linked to the image of the patroness: Nossa Senhora da Penha de França is often depicted with a small animal at her feet, and the saint would have become known as the Lady of the Little Animal (Senhora do Bichinho). Local researchers note that the name Bichinho already appears in old parish records.

The church hosts the village’s religious festivals and weddings, and the square in front is the meeting point of the town center, near the craft shops.