Registered in the List of Patrimonies of the Humanity in 1999. Located in the State of Minas Gerais. The discovery at the beginning of century XVIII, of abundant diamantíferos deposits in the inhospitable region of the birth of the Jequitinhonha River, causes the birth arraiais of garimpo (towns of gold mining). Consequently Portuguese Corona implants, in 1731, a special regime of administration, in order to control the population that arrived attracted by diamonds.

The discovery brought prosperity to the E region did whereupon it would consolidate a history and a culture differentiated from the rest of the Portuguese colonies of the world.

In 1771, Marquess de Pombal reinforces the control instituting the Regiment two Adamantine Lands, maintaining the Arraial do Tijuco (future Adamantine) subordinate to the Region of Serro, situation that only modifies in 1832, with the elevation to the category of Villa. Six years later, when he ascends to the condition of city, he happens to be called Adamantine.

Adamantine

The diamond production passed through diverse periods of prosperity and decay to the length of centuries XIX and XX. From second half of century XIX, Adamantine an intense industrial bud would live, mainly of the textile sector. It is also transformed into important and influential commercial place, arriving the denominated being “Great Emporio from the North�.

In the architecture the simplicity predominates, as much in the houses, as in the administrative or religious buildings. They are constructions where it prevails the use of the wood structure and the technique of the mud reinforced with wood. A local characteristic is the two more alive color or use in the openings contrasting with the white walls, a particularitity that is repeated in the churches, the big rambling houses and the small houses of door and window. These rows of houses, without frontal lap, define apples, the routes and the spaces public, in their majority with relatively small dimensions.

The appearance of the city is marked by the streets, with its irregular stone paving and its traditional gutters in center of the streets, with greater slabs.

Adamantine it is different from other Brazilian historical cities, clearly “the Rococo� but at the same time delicate and refined, in the middle of an extraordinary landscape with a style of original architecture, with Arab influences in some of his constructions, Arab vestiges luso that rarely are in Brazil. The windows with lattice windows and Mozarabic balconies with wood grid are used in elements like the leaves of.

Native land of president Juscelino Kubitschek.

Recommended visits and activities:

Church Our Lady do Carmo: with the lining, a perspective ilusionist, work of Jose Soares de Araújo, recognized diamantinense artist of the colonial period.

Church N.S do two Rosary Pretos: with an ample vestibule, unique in the city.

Other churches: Church San Francisco de Assis, Imperial Chapel do Shelter, Our Lady gives Merces, Church Mr. Do Bonfim the two Military, etc.

Civil architecture:

House of Gloria: with its rarest lifted wood passage, connecting it to the big rambling house across of the street.

Antonio library Towers: is the last unit of Mozarabic balcony.

Municipal market: built in wood, with its arcs reduced in alive colors, with its place, that was where the caravans met that arrived by far, making remember caravanzarais of the Eastern caravans. At the moment it is cultural center.

Big rambling house of Girl gives Whistles: it emphasizes by his location and volume, but especially by the lattice window that its great lateral balcony covers.

Museum of Diamante: with history and many data on the diamond in the region.
In the 50 years Juscelino Kubitschek, it introduced the modernismo through three important buildings, like: the Tijuco Hotel, the Club of Tennis and the School Julia Kubitschek, works of Oscar Niemeyer, the architect of the most important buildings of Brasilia.

Registered in the List of Patrimonies of the Humanity in 1980. Located in the State of Minas Gerais. The origin to the name of Ouro Preto (Black Gold), the gold is due to be that was covered by a palladium layer there that with the dust acquired a blackish color. Ouro Preto was founded on the year of 1,711 by the union of several existing small villages in the place, that same year became Villa and soothes of advice, then Rich Vila was called. In the year of 1,720 it was chosen like the new capital of just established captainship of Minas Gerais.

During century XVIII, the abundance of gold, easily found at heart of the rivers and streams of the region, produced the embellishment of the city designed on hills of two colossal mountains. Great artists, like the Portuguese sculptor Francisco Xavier de Brito, participated in this intense activity, although the great artist was Antônio Francisco Lisbon, nicknamed the Aleijadinho (the Deformadillo), due to the disease that deformed the members to him, at the end of his life. Aleijadinho is the greater Brazilian artist of the colonial period and bequeathed to the country a matchless inheritance by the genius of its dimensions. In Ouro Preto, where it was born and it died (1738-1814), it must him his architectonic and artistic splendor, the explaining major is the Church of São Francisco de Assis, besides other many outstanding works in the urban scene and of the ornamentation of the temples.

Ouro Preto

In century XVIII, the religious orders multiplied the constructions in Ouro Preto, and each tried to do of its richest and pretty church of the city. With gold of the city they hid, inside the churches, true treasures in altars decorated with statures sea breams. With “pedra-sabão�, local raw material, replaced the European marble and found original solutions for the decoration of each one of the churches. Behind the simple facades they raised twisted columns and they escupieron angels, mythological, holy beings and Biblical scenes.

In spite of constituting magnificent examples, the churches are not the unique patrimony of Ouro Preto. Stone bridges, sources and big rambling houses comprise of the historical atmosphere of the city. 

Painting, sculpture, music, poetry and theater are a sample of the most fertile cultural production of Ouro Preto in the century of gold. The closing of that singular expression was the conspiracy by the independence of Brazil, articulated by lawyers, priests, poets, the military and miners of Rich Vila, between 1788 and 1789, well-known one like Inconfidencia Mineira. Influenced by the illustrated ideas of France and the independence of the United States, the disloyal ones of Ouro Preto dreamed about a Republic in Portuguese America and began to prepare the revolution. To the being denounced by some companions his, the main leaders were catched. Joaquim lieutenant Jose gives Whistles Xavier, Tiradentes, like was well-known for being dentist, was hanged person in Rio de Janeiro, the 21 of April of 1792, while 12 prisoners were deportees to Africa.

In 1823, he was elevated to the category of city and happened to be called Ouro Preto, and capital of the province, during the Empire, with the Republic (1889), later (1897) in the State Capital of Minas Gerais. Then, the desire of change, stimulated by the new regime, caused that the miners constructed the city of Belo Horizonte to be soothes of the government of the State. Ouro Preto could thus be preserved like city monument, title that received from president Getúlio Vargas in 1933. In 1938, the city completely happened to be considered Patrimony Historical and Artistic National. 1980, one became the first Brazilian cultural good enrolled in the list of the Patrimony of the Humanity established by UNESCO.

Ouro Petro, at present constitutes one of the most homogenous and complete sets of baroque art of the world. The large houses, churches and palaces constructed during which the Cycle of Gold was called have transformed concurred museums into which exhibits objects of the old inhabitants. The houses that belonged to the inconfidentes (participant of the independentista movement) and the churches barrocas, ornadas of gold in the most classic Rococo style, now shelter art and history.  Ouro Preto offers in addition the Park Estadual Itacolomi, of great beauty in the heat of nature.

Recommended visits and activities:

Churches

First church of Nossa Senhora do To pound: the project of this church, considered one of the most refined of baroque style, is attributed to Pedro Gomes Chaves. The statures of the greater chapel are work of Francisco Xavier de Brito. The decoration also includes a magnificent covered gold wood stature and than four hundred angels more carved. Its ornamentation required about 400 kilos of gold and 400 kilos of silver.

Church of Nossa Senhora do Carmo: with project of Manoel Francisco Lisbon, father of the Aleijadinho, was constructed between 1766 and 1772. She was frequented by the aristocracy of Rich Vila.

Church of Nossa Senhora do Rosary: it is a rare example of the baroque style of Minas Gerais, due to his circular facade. It was constructed, as of 1785, to replace the original chapel. In contrast to the external aspect, the interior is simple and evokes holy black.

Church of São Francisco de Assis: it is the most famous church of Ouro Preto, one of the most splendid units of the baroque style of Minas Gerais. The construction was begun in 1766 and the work prime of the Aleijadinho, person in charge of the drawn up one general of the work is considered, the cover, the lateral pulpit of the greater altar, altars and the greater chapel.

First church of Nossa Senhora gives Conceição: the project and the construction, that extended from 1727 to 1746, were in charge of Manuel Francisco Lisbon, father of the Aleijadinho. Both are buried inside the church. The museum of the Aleijadinho is a Annex of the church.

Church of São Francisco de Paula: last church constructed during the colonial period, the work had beginning in 1804. The image of the employer, that at the moment is in the Museum of the Aleijadinho, is attributed to the teacher. From its vestibule a beautiful view of the city is had.

Church of Santa Efigênia or Nossa Senhora do High Rosary do gives Cross: its construction extended by 60 years, from 1730 to 1790. Manuel Francisco Lisbon participated in the project, and Francisco Xavier de Brito was in charge of the stature of the greater chapel. In the facade are stone the older clocks of the city.

Church of Nossa Senhora gives Mercês and Misericórdia (Mercês de Cima): church constructed between 1771 and 1793. The project of the central tower is of Manuel Francisco de Araújo.

Church of San jOse: it belonged to a brotherhood that congregated several artists. The drawn up one of the altarpiece of the greater chapel and the tower is of of the Aleijadinho. It was constructed between 1730 and 1811.

Chapel of San Juan Baptist: it is the oldest temple of the city, constructed in 1698 by order of the bandeirante (explorer) Antônio Day.


Museums

Two house Contos: constructed entre1782 and 1787 by João Rodrigues de Macedo, collector of taxes of the Captainship of Mines, that established its house there and the administration of its businesses. Throughout the time it was used with different intentions, even like jail of the inconfidentes (participant of a independentista movement). At the moment it is soothes of the Training center of the Cycle of Gold, of the Museum of the Currency and the Property, and the agency of the Federal Receita of Ouro Preto, besides sheltering an art gallery.

Museum of Science and Technique of the School of Mining: founded on 1877, like Museum of Mineralogy by the French engineer Claude Henri Gorceix, founder of the Escola of Mines (mining school). In 1995 he was extended and he received the name of Museum of Science and Technique of the School of Mining. Nine of their sectors already were implemented: natural history, that includes/understands zoologies and paleontology, mining, mineralogy, metallurgy, iron and steel industry, drawing, topography, electrotechnic astronomy and. The collection includes 30,000 originating pieces worldwide.

Museum of the Oratory: it works in the old house of the Noviciado and its collection consists of works of different styles that represent the traditional religious customs of the families of Minas Gerais.

Museum of the Inconfidencia: its construction was initiated in 1784 by the City council (municipal advice), during the government of Luis Cunha Menezes. The work was paralyzed in diverse opportunities, so that the building was finished 60 years later, at 1846. It was it soothes of the municipal advice and it also worked like prison. In 1944 the museum was inaugurated, whose collection is composed by documents and objects related to the independentista movement of the Inconfidencia Mineira and diverse works of the historical and artistic patrimony of Minas Gerais. In their interior the mortal rest of the inconfidentes are buried. The museum has an audience Annex and the Room Manuel de Ataíde, in which temporary exhibitions are realized.

Registered in the List of Patrimonies of the Humanity in 1985.  It is located in Monte Maranaho, in the limits of the urban zone of the city of Congonhas, in the State of Minas Gerais. Like other cities of this State, Congonhas arose from the gold discovery in the region, in century XVIII. The Sanctuary was constructed by the promise that Feliciano Mendes realized, after leaving a disease satisfactorily, this Portuguese was one of the gold prospectors that arrived at this region. It began to be constructed in 1757, in the then Parish of Our Lady of the Conception of the Congonhas (congonhas = shrubs of mate), inspired by the sanctuaries of the Good Jesus de Matosinhos, in the environs of the city of Oporto, and of the Good Jesus de Braga, in Portugal, one took more than 60 years to finish the architectonic set, counting on the participation of the most remarkable artists and creators of the region of gold who made contributions diverse, and that turned finally it into one of most extraordinary Brazilian monuments.

Between the artists who participated we honored famous Cerqueira architect who went the one who provided to the temple the innovating solutions to him that created school in the region: unique ship, without having lateral corridors and salient towers to the sides of the ship. The enduring Rococo ornamentation of its nears space, that includes the statures of the altarpieces, images, religious objects and the paintings of the coatings of the ship, central chapel and lateral panels, does of the church of the Good Jesus de the most complete Matosinhos one of and interesting of this style at world-wide level.

Sanctuary of the Good Jesus Montesinhos

The statues of the twelve Prophets of the Old Testament, carved in stone “sabão� and distributed symmetrically by the supports of the porch, were realized by Antonio Francisco Antonio Lisbon, the Aleijadinho. The set is one of last works of the most remarkable artist mineiro and one of most important of Brazil, that it composes a sculptural set of admirable scenic effect. Aleijadinho is also the author of the images of the Passages of the Passion, that integrate the stations of the Way Crucis, arranged in the six small chapels that follow one another throughout the hill of the Hill of Maranhão marking the limits of the vestibule of the church. The artist was helped by his officials and apprentices in the production of the set of 66 figures, reserving to his cares the expresivas images.

Sculptural the architectonic set/is one of the most complete groups of prophets of the world, representing, without a doubt, one of works of the world-wide Rococo, the creative genius and the perseverancia of Francisco Antonio Lisbon, Aleijandinho, that against all the limitations imposed by its disease, at the end of its life, left a work impressive.

Registered in the List of Patrimonies of the Humanity in 1999. One is located in the States of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Parana that they have the greater portion than is of the Atlantic forest of all Brazil. The Atlantic forest is considered one of the richest areas in diversity and biological endenismo of the planet. Originally surface covered around 15% with Brazil, around 1.300.000 km ² (in a strip that extended of the south to the northeast of the country), at the moment there is a surplus next to 100.000km ², rather less 8% of the original area. The region of the Southeast stayed preserved reasonably, as a result of inaccessibility and of the difficulties to urbanize it, result of an injured relief.

The geologic formation of the area this divided in two great systems: on the one hand the bulks and mountains, and by another one the beaches, restingas and mangrove swamps.

Atlantic forest: reserves of the Southeast

The islands Comprida and Superagüi, are two islands with beaches and mangrove swamps of Atlantic Forest of extraordinary beauty.

Being still lost great part of the territory, still today it competes with the Amazonia with regard to the biodiversity and to its beauty. As most of the present forest is located in hills and mountains, more light penetrates in its diverse layers and many trees are full of epifitos. The enormous variety of orchids and bromelias is typical of an Atlantic forest preserved good. Half of the trees and two thirds of bromelias and palms are endemic only species.

An ebullient full forest of hidden treasures as cracked “veil of fianc2ee�, delicate orchids or the beautiful tití golden lion. There are many places from where the visitor has facilities to venture forest inside. Observers of birds can discover an enormous variety of species, including some endemic ones in extinction danger. And for the adventurers there are a great fan of activities like senderismo, mountain cycling, rappel, reduction of guns, rafting, piragüismo and strolls to horse. And in addition… Some of best beaches of Brazil are closely together.

There are more than 800 species of birds registered in Atlantic Mata, from the majestic and very rare eagle arpía to the very small small hermit rufo (a colibrí of 8 cm.). Colorful groups of tángaras fly of tree in tree in search of fruits foods; trepatroncos and anthills look for insects in trunks and branches and the sad one whistled of anambé black and gilded resonates by the dense forest.

The list of mammals of Atlantic Mata has more than 150 species, but many are aloof nocturnes and. More of a third of the mammals in danger in Brazil they are endemic of this unique ecosystem. They stand out seriously threatened titíes lion the golden and the greatest monkey of Suramérica, “muriqui� or coal monkey.

Atlantic Mata is also rich in reptiles, amphibians and butterflies.

The scientific interest of the area has grown due to the diversity of life forms, related mutually in complex systems, and to the one of the several examples of evolutionary processes and biological development.

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