Portuguese Colonial Cities in Brazil
A few years after the discovery of Brazil, an expedition led by Martim Afonso de Sousa arrived with his caravels to the Rio de la Plata estuary, with the mission of putting Portuguese possession of landmarks on the left bank of the mouth of the river, having, however, been unable to complete it due to […]
São João del-Rei was founded in the 18th century and has a great number of buildings from that era, including more than 70 churches. It was there where Tiradentes, the leader of the Inconfidência Mineira, was born in 1746. Gold, animal husbandry and agriculture aided the development and progression of the former town, given city […]
The origin of the city dates back to the late seventeenth century, a time when pioneers came to the region in search of gold. The designation of Mariana came later, in honor of Queen Maria Anna of Austria, wife of King D. João V. On April 8, 1711 the governor Antonio de Albuquerque created in […]
Salvador, formerly São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos (“Holy Savior of the Bay of All Saints”) and known colloquially as Bahia or Salvador da Bahia(Brazilian Portuguese: is the largest city and the third-largest urban agglomeration on the northeast coast of Brazil; it is the capital of the Northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. Founded by the […]
Diamantina is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Minas Gerais. Its estimated population in 2006 was 44,746 in a total area of 3,870 km². Arraial do Tijuco (as Diamantina was first called) was built during the colonial era in the early 18th century. As its name suggests, Diamantina was a center ofdiamond mining in the […]
Parati Flooded Streets Once a month when there is a Full Moon and the tide is high, seawater rises from its normal levels, and pours into the Historic Center District through special openings in the seawalls that separate the city from the harbor. The streets are only flooded for a short time, until the tide […]
Paraty or Parati, is a preserved Portuguese colonial (1500–1822) and Brazilian Imperial (1822–1889) municipality with a population of about 36,000. It is located on the Costa Verde (Green Coast), a lush, green corridor that runs along the coastline of the state of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil. Paraty has become a popular tourist destination in recent years, […]
São Luís is known for its tiles which most buildings in the historical centre are covered in. Because of it the city is also known as “The Tiles City”. It also has some cultural peculiarities namely: Tambor de Crioula Afro-Brazilian dance in which gaily clad women court a bateria of tambors (a row of drums). […]
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 andBrazil’s golden age in the 18th century under Portuguese rule. The city centre contains well-preserved Portuguese colonial architecture, with few signs of modern urban development. Any new […]