Ouro Preto - Casa dos Contos

Casa dos Contos

To the west of Praça Tiradentes, in Rua São José, is the Casa dos Contos (1782), the finest secular building in Ouro Preto. It was originally the residence of the Intendant João Rodrigues de Macedo, and it was also in this building that the gold won by the miners was weighed and smelted under his supervision. Later it was used for a time as a prison; among those confined here were Cláudio Manuel da Costa (who was found dead in his cell two days after his arrest) and others concerned in the Inconfidência. Visitors can see the smelting furnaces and rooms furnished in 18th century style. The Salão Nobre has 18th century ceiling paintings which were discovered in 1974 during restoration work. In an adjoining building is