Brazilian Baroque

OURO PRETO

How much do you know about this incredible city? 

 The city of Ouro Preto, in Minas Gerais, is well known for its colonial architecture. It was the first Brazilian city to be considered a world heritage site by Unesco in 1980, and is home to a magnificent Baroque architectural ensemble, one of the best preserved in the world.

You will visit the Matriz Nossa Senhora do Pilar, that is decorated with more than 400 kg of gold. The graceful Museu do Oratório has pieces of different styles that celebrate the miners religiosity.

The São Francisco de Assis Church was designed and decorated by Aleijadinho, and is considered his masterpiece. The image of San Francisco is thrilling.

The sculptor Antônio Francisco Lisboa, Aleijadinho, was one of the most important artists of Minas Gerais. Aleijadinho died in 1814, and was honored in 1968 with the creation of the Aleijadinho Museum, dedicated to preserving and exhibiting objects of sacred art.

The Museu da Inconfidência, which guards the memory of one of the most important separatist uprisings of the colonial period, is also another attraction of Ouro Preto.

TIRADENTES

Let´s explore the most charming of the historical cities of Minas Gerais!! 

Tiradentes´s multi-coloured Portuguese cottages  and miniature baroque churches  cluster around the cobbles on a series   of steep, low hills around  the Santo Antonio River. There´s a crafts shop, arty little café or gourmet restaurant on every other corner. Pretty horse-down carriages gather in the town´s main plaza and the Maria Fumaça steam railway puffs its way towards São Joao del Rei at weekends. The tourists came here in earnest afther the national TV station TV Globo staged a popular mini-series here in the 1980s. The town takes its name from the former dentist who was one of the leaders of The Inconfidencia revolt. The city has some fine colonial buildings: The Matriz de Santo Antonio built between 1710 and 1752 , has a lavich gilt interior and a carved facade which is in part attributed to Aleijadinho; The Museum Padre Toledo was once the home of another of the leaders of the Inconfidencia movement and is now a museum, and on the edge of town is a magnificent 18th-century baroque drinking fountain, the Chafariz de San José.

CITY TOUR RIO DE JANEIRO

A tour designed to discover the cultural heritage of Rio de Janeiro. It covers the centre of Rio, highlighting the buildings, neighbourhoods, squares and stores that were part of the history of this city from its beginnings as a Portuguese colony until it became the Capital of Brazil. The tour includes the marvellous Nova Friburgo Palace, now the Palacio de Catete, which was built between 1858 and 1867 by a wealthy merchant and owner of Coffee Haciendas Antonio Clemente Pinto, Baron of Nova Friburgo, considered today a monument of extreme historical, architectural and artistic wealth. Built in the city of Rio when it was still the Imperial Capital, this palace became the symbol of the economic power of the slave-owning coffee-growing elite of 19th Century Brazil. With the death of its owners, this unique Palace inspired by the Florentine Palaces became the residence of the President of the Republic through which 18 presidents passed, until the capital was transferred to Brasilia in 1960, the year in which the palace became the Museum of the Republic.

The architectural and artistic wealth of the Palace is truly incredible with its rooms decorated in different styles, imitating the great European palaces, both in its construction materials as in its furniture, ornaments and decorations that lead the visitor to compare this palace with the rooms of Versailles themselves.

The Palace has 3 floors full of rooms and ante rooms, meeting rooms, banquet and party halls that show the wealth and sophistication of Imperial Brazil. The visit is completed with a short walk through the Palace gardens with their imperial palm trees, native Brazilian species in the midst of nurseries and artificial lakes.

TOUR OF BARROQUE CHURCHES

 Nossa Senhora do Carmo da Antiga Se and Nossa Senhora do Monte do Carmo churches are side by side, the first being the old Cathedral of the city of Rio. Following are the Igreja da Irmandade da Santa Cruz dos Militares and the small Nossa Senhora dos Mercaderes church. Continue on to the Monastery of San Benedicto, Brazilian Baroque masterpiece, and contemplate its chapel and all the splendour of this Carioca treasure.