Our destination for the next two nights was Ouro Preto, the center of the late 17th century gold rush in Brazil and located about 60 miles from the airport in Belo Horizonte or BH, and theoretically a short hop from São Paulo where we'd just stayed. There we experienced the most convoluted check-in procedure surely of any airport anywhere. After seeing no check-in signs, we realized we had to get luggage tags from a kiosk after being told to stand in a line for baggage drop which would have taken a good hour. Finally, with tags in hand, it was back to the luggage drop line and finally we boarded our flight, just relieved we'd left ourselves plenty of time at the airport. It turned out to be the bumpiest one we'd ever experiences with extreme turbulence which resulted in some people losing their cookies. Shortly there was an announcement, in Portuguese only, that because of the bad weather, the flight was diverted to Rio de Janeiro, our next destination! Apparently, the pilot had to take on more fuel before trying again to land in BH. Finally, 2.5 hours later, we did after getting a so-called goody bag of chips, water and cookies!
We managed to find the airport bus to the crowded bus terminal in town where a guardian angel in the form of a young Portuguese-speaking German woman took us under her wing, helping us to buy tickets for the onward bus journey and get us to the right bus stop with just minutes to spare when she noticed how frazzled we appeared. Steven and I both were interested that she commented how much safer she felt in Brazil and generally in South America than in Europe because there was no terrorism in the former. Two hours later, we arrived safe and sound in Ouro Preto and snagged a taxi to our hotel where we collapsed, bummed after missing a precious half-day of sightseeing.
Ouro Preto, known as Black Gold, was the center of what was in the 1690s the largest gold discovery in the Western hemisphere. The town, developed in the early 1700s as a result of the wealth from this gold rush and had a population in 1750 of 80,000 people, larger even than that of New York City! Jesuit priests arrived, in addition to bands of adventurers in search of slaves and gold, and insisted that their churches, financed by the gold from the mines, be built in the Baroque style. I read that 106 tons of gold were extracted from the local mines by the Portuguese until all the mines were exhausted. Brazil was that country's last possession.
Our travel book indicated that Ouro Preto had Brazil's purest collection of Baroque art and architecture. Six museums, no fewer than 13 churches and picture-book cottages set among low hills were what drew us to add Ouro Preto to our itinerary. The designation of the city by UNESCO as a World Heritage Center in 1991 just added to its lure for us! Because of the difficulties getting to Ouro Preto, we got an early start the next morning in what we soon nicknamed the City of Hills and the City of Churches!
After huffing and puffing our way to the top of the first hill, we reached São Francisco de Assis Church described as an 'architectural masterpiece with a jewel-box chapel.'
We peeked inside and marveled at how the 'painted surfaces and architectural features blended at the margins as if the painted sky ceiling could open up for God's inspection.'
Across from the church was a pretty square I'd remembered passing in the taxi last night that had stall upon stall of exquisite soapstone carvings. Many craftsmen were hard at work carving pieces as we watched in fascination.
Another important building on the square was the impressive church of Nossa Senhora do Carmo or Our Lady of Carmel which was designed in 1766.
It was hard not to smile after spotting the exuberant stone carvings of curlicues and soaring angels above the main entrance! We waited 40 minutes for the church to open but it never did so we gave up but hoped to find time to return later.
The tombstones in the rear belonged to those who had rebelled against the Portuguese authorities and had been repatriated so they could be brought back to their rightful places. When Ouro Preto became independent, it was promoted to the status of Imperial City in 1823.
Built between 1782 and 1784, it belonged to one of the wealthiest men in 18th century colonial Brazil and also one of the most famous supporters of the underground Independence Movement in the state of Minas Gerais where Ouro Preto was located.
There were lovely views from the Casa's small balcony of the neighboring colonial homes and the countryside.
Photos of the home's interior:
The Slaves Kitchen and Quarters, located under the building, were accessible by a wooden ramp. The home gave us an inkling of what life must have been like depending on whether one was white and powerful or a black slave.
São Jao St., opened since the beginning of the settlement, was called Tiradentes in the 19th century after the most prominent leader of the Inconfidência movement and one of its inhabitants. A main feature was its collection of buildings used as both stores and homes.
This was the home of da Silva Xavier, i.e. Tiradentes aka the Tooth-Puller.
Sorry the photo is way too bright but it gives you a sense still of the charm and beauty of Ouro Preto.
No chance of going into hydrangea withdrawal in Ouro Preto as they were commonplace.
The door to ...?
The building was being used as a School of Restoration because of the town's designation as a World Heritage Center. One of Ouro Preto’s most distinctive features was the decorative balconies and other exterior details. Because the city used to be so rich, the houses were decorated with ornate iron balconies and lanterns, and every house had colorful window trim.
We had been heading west toward Nossa Senhora do Rosario dos Pretos, a church built by slaves who had accumulated enough gold to create its stunning shell but not to decorate its interior.
The view of the square from the church:
We managed to find the airport bus to the crowded bus terminal in town where a guardian angel in the form of a young Portuguese-speaking German woman took us under her wing, helping us to buy tickets for the onward bus journey and get us to the right bus stop with just minutes to spare when she noticed how frazzled we appeared. Steven and I both were interested that she commented how much safer she felt in Brazil and generally in South America than in Europe because there was no terrorism in the former. Two hours later, we arrived safe and sound in Ouro Preto and snagged a taxi to our hotel where we collapsed, bummed after missing a precious half-day of sightseeing.
Ouro Preto, known as Black Gold, was the center of what was in the 1690s the largest gold discovery in the Western hemisphere. The town, developed in the early 1700s as a result of the wealth from this gold rush and had a population in 1750 of 80,000 people, larger even than that of New York City! Jesuit priests arrived, in addition to bands of adventurers in search of slaves and gold, and insisted that their churches, financed by the gold from the mines, be built in the Baroque style. I read that 106 tons of gold were extracted from the local mines by the Portuguese until all the mines were exhausted. Brazil was that country's last possession.
There were several that caught my eye but Steven, ever the practical one, cautioned me on buying some then because of their weight. I was intrigued and totally captivated by the works of art but put off buying any, then at least!
In the town center was the spacious Praça Tiradentes with the impressive Museu da Inconfidência holding court over the cobbled plaza. Ouro Preto is a center of Brazilian history. While Americans go to Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. to see our history, Brazilians go to Ouro Preto. The severed head of patriot Joaquim José da Silva Xavier, nicknamed Tiradentes or Tooth-Puller, was displayed on a pole in the square in 1792. Xavier and six of his co-conspirators had plotted to overthrow the Portuguese colonial power as it taxed over half of their wealth. However, spies infiltrated the group and exposed the plan. Tiradentes was imprisoned and executed and his body quartered and left in various cities to warn the community about the fate of those who challenged the Portuguese crown!
The museum once served as town hall and was used as a prison until 1937. It also acted as the 'presidential palace' in the 1988 movie Moon Over Parador which starred Richard Dreyfuss. The fountain in the middle of the former town hall, prison and wanna be presidential palace:
I felt like a queen surveying her subjects standing on the steps and overlooking the large plaza!
The sight of Xavier's execution in the central square:
Even though the skies were overcast and a storm threatened, the view of the stunning buildings and a church nestled in the rolling hills took our breath away.
You do remember I said this was a city of hills, right?!
Views of our walk through town to the Casa dos Contos, the tax collector’s office and private house during the gold rush era. Known as the House of Tales, it was where gold was originally weighed.
Photos of our stroll through town:
I so wish my photos could capture the church's incredible interior with its convex walls that were so unusual and charming. The interior may have been simple and unadorned at one point but now, it was nothing short of sublime in my opinion.
The ceiling:
Another view of the striking exterior.
Notice the different wall decoration.
This wee chapel was one of the five remaining town's Passes of Passion which are only opened for the Meeting Procession on Palm Sunday and the Burial Procession on Good Friday.
Up and down more hills in search of another church since we hadn't yet met our daily quota!
The hilly streets may have been tough on our joints but the sights along the way were a treat for our eyes.
Perched in a tiny square ready for Christmas was the parish church called Nossa Senhora do Pilar built in 1711.
Unlike the more restrained and delightful Rosario church we'd just visited, Pilar's walls exploded with rosy-cheeked saints and angels. Photos were taboo there so you'll have to be content with this one! The church is known for the huge amount of gold inside, the second largest amount of gold inside a Brazilian church. The sculptor of the various saints had a conflict with church officials while working, so instead of making faces of the saints he modeled each one using his own face on each statue there!
The Sacristy was equally ornate.
After a long slog uphill, we retraced out steps to Tiradentes Square.
More unusual features in Ouro Preto's caught our fancy.
These figures were commonplace in shops and on windowsills in Ouro Preto.
Back in the square but at the opposite end was the sprawling Escolas de Minas or College of Mine Engineering. Inside was a Mineralogy Museum that we peered around for a bit.
The 10,000-12,000 year-old skeleton was called 'The Man of Holy Lake' and found nearby.
What fascinated me most was a darkened room that had a superb collection of rocks and minerals.
We had never seen such a large collection of crystals before. One piece weighed 47.5 kilos and was found in 1960 in the state of Minas Gerais.
The breathtaking examples of crystalline structures were beautifully lit and presented.
Anyone with aspirations of being a photographer would have trouble finding a more beautiful spot than Ouro Preto. With every step I took, I found yet more scenes I wanted to photograph so I would have those memories forever.
This was one of the twenty plus gem stores we passed in Ouro Preto.
We traipsed back to Carmo church hoping it would be open at 4 and we were in luck - yes! The church was designed by Manuel Francisco Lisboa but his son, the far more famous architect, known simply as Aleijadinho, altered the plan while work was underway in 1770. He incorporated the bell towers into the facade and added the elegant archway over the entrance I included earlier.
The walls were adorned with gorgeous blue tiles near the altar.
Photos of yet another gorgeous, exquisite, lovely Sacristy - I am at a loss to describe in other words what we saw.
En route to another church, we stopped to admire Passo de Antônio Dias, another of the five 'passes' or chapels that only open their doors two days a year around Easter.
The fountain dated from 1752.
We were so glad when we finally reached Ouro Pretos' monument to Brazil's most famous artist Aleijadinho: the museum and church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição de Antônio Dias. We were so disappointed that the map, provided by the town and which listed all of the churches' hours, had the hours wrongly listed as it was closed. Also shut was the museum behind the church that was dedicated to the celebrated architect and artist.
Steven had had enough of steps and hills at that point so I took this photo of him from the church entrance as he caught his breath!
We decided we had enough energy left to walk a little further to see the last remaining stone bridge in town.
As we began the long walk uphill back to town, we stopped for a moment at the pretty molding on the side of the Conceição church.
The historical marker said that "Tradition holds that the Church allowed oratories to be built at the front of houses to calm the sudden fear that overtook the population of Ouro Preto, known as Villa Rica at the beginning of the 18th century. Hooded figures would come down from the hills to commit robberies and thefts and were mistaken for ghosts."
I did talk about hills in Ouro Preto, right?!
Wasn't it amazing that we just happened to stop by the same handicraft market we'd first explored that morning! I was so glad it was still open as I had thought of quite a few hand carved soapstone pieces I wanted to buy while strolling around Ouro Preto all day long. Steven, I am relieved to say, is as enamored still of the pieces I chose and the great memories they bring back of our time in one of the loveliest towns in all of South America.
Next post: Onto to Rio - need I say more?!
Posted on May 31st, 2018, back in Grayton Beach State Park on Florida's Panhandle.
