| Ouro Preto | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| — Municipality — | |||
| Praça Tiradentes, Ouro Preto | |||
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| Country | Brazil | ||
| State | Minas Gerais | ||
| Official name: Historic Town of Ouro Preto | |||
| Type: | Cultural | ||
| Criteria: | i, III | ||
| Designated: | 1980 (4th session) | ||
| Reference #: | 124 | ||
| State Party: | Brazil | ||
| Region: | Latin America and the Caribbean | ||
Ouro Preto (from Portuguese, Black Gold) is a city in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, a former colonial mining town located in the Serra do Espinhaço mountains and designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO because of its outstanding Baroque architecture.
Contents |
Population: Data from the 2010 Census (IBGE)
The city is linked by good roads to:
Bordering municipalities are:
Ouro Preto has a humid subtropical climate (Cwa, according to the Köppen climate classification), with warm and humid summers and mild, dry winters.
| Climate data for Ouro Preto, Brazil | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 28.2 (82.8) |
28.5 (83.3) |
28.5 (83.3) |
27.1 (80.8) |
25.5 (77.9) |
24.5 (76.1) |
24.7 (76.5) |
25.9 (78.6) |
26.8 (80.2) |
27.4 (81.3) |
27.5 (81.5) |
27.3 (81.1) |
26.83 (80.29) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 17.6 (63.7) |
17.7 (63.9) |
16.8 (62.2) |
15 (59) |
12.3 (54.1) |
10.2 (50.4) |
9.8 (49.6) |
11.1 (52.0) |
13.8 (56.8) |
16 (61) |
16.8 (62.2) |
17.2 (63.0) |
14.53 (58.15) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 252 (9.92) |
184.9 (7.28) |
155.5 (6.122) |
69.2 (2.724) |
27.7 (1.091) |
12.3 (0.484) |
10.3 (0.406) |
11.8 (0.465) |
48.7 (1.917) |
123.7 (4.87) |
202.6 (7.976) |
305.8 (12.039) |
1,404.5 (55.295) |
| Source: Tempo Agora.[1] | |||||||||||||
Founded at the end of the 17th century, Ouro Preto (meaning Black Gold) was originally called Vila Rica, or "rich village," the focal point of the gold rush and Brazil's golden age in the 18th century under Portuguese rule.
The city contains well preserved Portuguese colonial architecture, with few signs of modern urban life. Modern construction must adhere to historical standards maintained by the city. 18th- and 19th-century churches decorated with gold and the sculptured works of Aleijadinho make Ouro Preto a prime tourist destination.
The tremendous wealth from gold mining in the 18th century created a city which attracted the intelligentsia of Europe. Philosophy and art flourished, and evidence of a baroque revival called the "Barroco Mineiro" is illustrated in architecture as well as by sculptors such as Aleijadinho, painters such as Mestre Athayde, composers such as Lobo de Mesquita, and poets such as Thomas Gonzaga.
In 1789, Ouro Preto became the birthplace of the Inconfidência Mineira, a failed attempt to gain independence from Portugal. The leading figure, Tiradentes, was hanged as a threat to any future revolutionaries.
In 1876, the Escola de Minas (Mines School) was created. This school established the technological foundation for several of the mineral discoveries in Brazil.
Ouro Preto was capital of Minas Gerais from 1720 until 1897, when the needs of government outgrew this town in the valley. The state government was moved to the new, planned city of Belo Horizonte.
Although Ouro Preto now relies heavily on the tourist industry for part of its economy, there are important metallurgic and mining industries located in the city, such as Novelis, former Alcan, the most important aluminum factory in the country, the Companhia Vale do Rio Doce and others. Main economic activities are tourism, transformation industries, and mineral riches such as deposits of iron, bauxite, manganese, talcum and marble.
Minerals of note are: gold, hematite, dolomite, tourmaline, pyrite, muscovite, topaz and imperial topaz. The imperial topaz is a stone only found in Ouro Preto.
Ouro Preto is also a university city with an intense student life. The Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto (Federal University of Ouro Preto) has approximately 8,000 students. Many live in communal houses, similar to fraternity houses, called "repúblicas" of which there are 66 belonging to the university, called "repúblicas federais" and 250 "repúblicas particulares", privately owned.
The "repúblicas" of Ouro Preto are unique in Brazil. No other university city has the characteristics of the student lodging found here. In many ways they are similar to lodgings in Portuguese universities such as Coimbra and the tradition may have come from there. Each one has its different history. There are repúblicas in which the freshmen, known as "bixos" (misspelling of "bichos", Portuguese for "animals"), have to undergo a hazing period, called "batalha" (battle), to be accepted definitely as residents of the houses. The choice called "escolha", has to be unanimous.[2]
Of special interest to visitors is the Museu Mineralógico Da Escola De Minas (Mineralogy Museum), belonging to the Mining School of the prestigious Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto (UFOP). The School opened its doors on 12 October 1876. The Museum is located at the Praça Tiradentes (No. 20), in the city historical center, and contains a rich assortment of minerals on display, including precious and semi-precious gemstones and large crystals. Security is tight, however, and for good reasons (for example, no cameras are allowed), due to the incalculable value of the gemstones and ores on display.
Ouro Preto is a major tourist destination, for its well-preserved colonial appearance with old buildings and cobblestone streets.
The city contains numerous churches, many famous for their religious art and baroque architecture. Some of the best known are:
A number of former gold mines in the city offer tours to tourists. One of the most well known is the Mina do Chico Rei (Little King Mine) near the sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Conceiçao.
Ouro Preto was a setting in the comedy movie Moon over Parador (1988), with actors Richard Dreyfuss and Sonia Braga.
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