Ouro Preto

Ouro Preto¹ was founded as a gold mining town in the Serra da Espinhaço (Backbone Mountains) in Minas Gerais² State, Southeast Region, Brasil (Brazil) and became the state capital until Belo Horizonte replaced it in the 1890s. There are 62 thousand people in the city.³ The city's is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, honoring its Baroque architecture. Particularly of note is Tiradentes Square with the 18th century Parliament House, and the Palace of Governors. The Igreja of São Francisco de (Church of Saint Francis of) Assisi contains works by the 18th century sculptor, Aleijadinho.⁴

External references

Church of São Francisco de Assisi in Ouro Preto

Footnotes

1. Translates into English as 'Black Gold,' a reference to dark minerals containing gold.
2. Could translates into English as 'General Mines.'
3. world-gazetteer.com, accessed 12/2/2012.
4. The information about the historic center comes from UNESCO, World Heritage Sites (Firefly Books, 2010).