CAMPANHA, Diocese of
In Brazil, situated in the southern part of the State of Minas Gerais, a suffragan see of the Archdiocese of Mariana. Population: 550,000 inhabitants, of whom 500,000 are Catholic; area: approximately 20,400 sq. km. The territory is predominantly mountainous and very rich in gold deposits and abundant sources of mineral water. The diocese comprises 155 churches and 54 parishes; it has 62 diocesan priests and 27 religious (1948); a minor seminary. Titular: Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The city, elevated to city status in 1840, lies at an altitude of 878 meters above sea level and has a population of over 20,000 souls.
The city of Campanha was founded in 1737 by an expedition of sertão explorers known as "bandeirantes." It is surrounded by deep ravines, vestiges of the early searches for gold and diamonds. It successively bore the names: S. Antonio do Vale da Piedade da Campanha do Rio Verde, Campanha da Princesa, and Campanha. In the city dwelt one of the conspirators of the Inconfidência Mineira, an important insurrectional movement against Portuguese rule that failed in 1789: the poet Alvarenga Peixoto. Campanha also played a significant role in other independence movements, particularly in the one that prepared for the overthrow of the throne and the establishment of the republican regime.
The diocese, whose territory was formerly included in the vast Diocese of Mariana and later in that of Porto Alegre, was detached from the latter by a consistorial decree of September 8, 1907, and erected by the bull *Spirituali fidelium* on the same day.
The city of Campanha, which still retains its colonial appearance, is called the "Atenas Mineira" (Minas Gerais' Athens) due to its tranquil, secluded atmosphere and numerous cultural institutions. It boasts a vast colonial-style cathedral with fine works of gilded carved wood; it also has a historical museum, established by the present bishop and named in his honor.