Ouro Preto, UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a town characterized by the art of the famous masters Aleijadinho and Athayde, leading exponents of the Baroque and Rococo style, which have made the city the greatest example of colonial art in Brazil.
Ouro Preto means "Black Gold" and owes its name to its origins. It was founded at the end of the seventeenth century by bandeirantes, adventurers in search of precious metals, who started a wild gold rush in the region. Today the mines are closed, used as a tourist attraction for the numerous visitors attracted by the artistic and architectural richness of Ouro Preto, by its magical atmosphere that has remained unchanged at other times, disturbed only by the presence of cars.
The best way to visit the city is to equip yourself with comfortable shoes and walk through the steep streets, still paved with original stones, venture among the houses and balconies carved with care and the many stone fountains, stopping along the way in the many churches and museums of the city.
