World Heritage Identification Number: 124
World Heritage since: 1980
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇧🇷 Brazil
Continent: Americas
UNESCO World Region: Latin America and the Caribbean
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A Glimpse into the Rich History of the Historic Town of Ouro Preto, Brazil
The Historic Town of Ouro Preto, nestled within the Serra do Espinhaço mountain range in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, stands as a testament to the country's rich historical and cultural heritage. Established at the end of the 17th century during the height of the Brazilian gold rush, this once bustling mining town has since evolved into a UNESCO World Heritage Site, renowned for its exceptional Baroque architecture.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
Founded at the end of the 17th century, Ouro Preto (Black Gold) was the focal point of the gold rush and Brazil’s golden age in the 18th century. With the exhaustion of the gold mines in the 19th century, the city’s influence declined but many churches, bridges and fountains remain as a testimony to its past prosperity and the exceptional talent of the Baroque sculptor Aleijadinho.
Encyclopedia Record: Ouro Preto
Ouro Preto, formerly Vila Rica, is a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The city, a former colonial mining town located in the Serra do Espinhaço mountains, was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO due to its Baroque colonial architecture. Ouro Preto used to be the capital of Minas Gerais from 1720 until the foundation of Belo Horizonte in 1897.Additional Site Details
Area: 167.8 hectares
(iii) — Unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition
Coordinates: -20.38888889 , -43.50555556
Image
© Raquel Mendes Silva, CC BY-SA 4.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
