Ouro Preto
Situation and Characteristics
Ouro Preto ("Black Gold"), designated by UNESCO as a world cultural monument, has the largest ensemble of Baroque architecture in the whole of Brazil. It was originally a small settlement of gold-diggers and treasure-seekers which in 1711
was granted the status of a vila under the name of Vila Rica de Albuquerque and from 1721 to 1897 was capital of Minas Gerais state. It was the home of a school of mulatto artists and a stronghold of the Inconfidentes who fought for the independence of Brazil. This treasure house of 18th century architecture, still largely intact, is built on the steep slopes of a hill in the middle south of Minas Gerais, 96km/60mi south-east of Belo Horizonte.
Bus station
Rua Padre Rolim
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