Founded in 1698, Ouro Preto is the masterpiece of colonial architecture in Brazil. Declared by UNESCO as a “Cultural Patrimony of Mankind”. Due to its distance from the coast and the exhaustion of the mines after 1789,it is the one town in Brazil to remain as an outstanding artistic and architectural example of that era. Along the same period, there developed liberation movements inspired by the Iluminism ideas and the concreet example of the American Revolution.
Sightseeing:
·Church of St. Francis of Assissi: An example of Brazilian religious architecture, designed by Aleijadinho, with wood and soapstone sculptures by the same artist.
·Museum of the School of Mines: a complete mineralogical view of Brazil, in addition to displays of geological artifacts from the other countries.
·Church of Our Lady of the Pilar: a church that marked the culmination of Golden Age architecture,with carved works painted entirely in gold. Taste the typical dishes of the region: “Feijão Tropeiro and Tutu a Mineira”.
·Oratorio Museum
·Opera House