Minas Gerais  is one of the 26 states of Brazil, the second most populated. The capital is the city of Belo Horizonte, located near the central area. Main producer of coffee and milk of the country, Minas Gerais is known by the patrimony of architecture and conserved colonial art in historical cities as Ouro Preto and Tiradentes.

Ouro Preto Description

Ouro Preto is built on a series of steep hills, full of churches and is steeped in fascinating history. Exploring this city is a delight where only a few modern buildings snap you out of colonial times. The cobblestone streets lead you past decorative fountains, statues, charming churches and mansions. Looking up at the steeples and domes of coloured tiles it doesn't take much to imagine yourself back in the 18th Century.

The city is famous for its past enveloped in gold. Founded in 1711, Ouro Preto was the former state capital, the early gold diggers believing this to be the elusive El Dorado.

It is here you can see the work of the famous sculptor, Aleijadinho his most prominent pieces being the façade of the Carmo Church and the Church of Sao Francisco de Assis.

Tiradentes Description

Situated between the Serra de Sao Jose mountain range and the banks of the Rio das Mortes, Tiradentes figured among the earliest settlements in Minas Gerais.

Initial waves of immigrants including large numbers of African slaves were attracted by the gold strikes which occurred in the rivers and streams of the region during the first decade of the eighteenth century.

This eighteenth-century prosperity bequeathed to the town its gracefully decorated Baroque churches, stately public buildings and handsome private home.

Coupled with the beauty of its natural surroundings, Tiradentes is considered a very charming and sophisticated tourist site. Catholicism is an integral part of the lives of local inhabitants.

Processions, Easter celebrations, musical bands and choral groups all express a profound religious spirit. Tiradentes inhabitants are increasingly turning to the crafts as their principal source of income. The craft works are display in windows and doorways and on the sidewalks of nearly every street in town. Ranging from the primitive to the sophisticated, on offer are objects in wood, soapstone, brass, diverse textiles, silver, among others.