São João del Rei
Situation and Characteristics
São João del Rei, situated in the south of Minas Gerais 200km/125mi from Belo Horizonte, was founded during the gold rush at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, and was one of the main areas of conflict in the "War of the Emboabas
" (1708-09), when the bandeirantes from São Paulo who had discovered the gold fought the Portuguese and Brazilians from other parts of the country who flocked into the região das minas (mining region) for control of the area. The Rio das Mortes ("River of Death"), with its old stone bridges, and the patrician houses of the colonial period still mark the pattern of the town. São João del Rei was the birthplace of José da Silva Xavier, known as Tiradentes, leader of the Inconfidentes, and President Tancredo Neves.
Bus station
Rua Cristóvão Colombo 599
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