Ouro Preto

About

Founded in the late 17th century, Ouro Preto was the center of the Brazilian Gold Rush and one of the largest cities in the Americas. Today, Ouro Preto is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its wealth of Baroque architecture. Start your visit at the Praça Tiradentes, the airy square in the heart of the old town, where you’ll find the former municipal palace (now the Museu da Inconfidência) and the Rococo Igreja da Nossa Senhora do Carmo holds the last works of Brazil’s beloved Aleijadinho. Of the many colonial churches scattered around town, the Igreja de São Francisco de Assis is the finest. Designed by Aleijadinho with murals by Mestre Ataíde, it’s one of the “Seven Wonders of Portuguese Origin in the World”. You can also delve in to the source of Ouro Preto’s wealth by touring one of the many gold mines, like the Mina Chico Rei or Mina Velha.