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OURO PRETO |
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Ouro Preto, just a few hours drive from Belo Horizonte is a fine "live work of art" place worth a visit. Let me tell you a little bit about the history of this charming little town: Ouro Preto has a special place in Brazilian history for its role in the "Inconfidencia Mineira" (1788-92), a failed rebellion against the Portuguese Crown. The movement started as a protest against the 20% royal tax on gold production. A group of intellectuals (doctors, writers, and poets) began meeting with the idea of taking some sort of action. The ringleader was a dentist by the name Joaquim Jos� da Silva Xavier, also known as Tiradentes (literally, "the teeth puller").
Unfortunately, before the group formulated a plan, someone betrayed their existence, and in 1789, Tiradentes was arrested, followed by 11 of his confederates. All were condemned to death. The vice-regal governor, however, commuted the sentences of the other 11 and sent them into exile. Tiradentes was hanged as an example, his body cut in four pieces, and each piece put on display. Nowadays, the Inconfidencia is interpreted as Brazil's first uprising against Portuguese rule, and Tiradentes as Brazil's first martyr in the struggle for independence. |
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Tiradentes Square - Ouro Preto |
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"Tiradentes Square" is the most famou historical and turistical place in Ouro Preto.
The place where today is located the "Tiradentes Square" (picture above), in Ouro Preto, was known, in the XVIII century, as "Mount of Saint Quiteria" and during almost all the XIX century, it was called "Independence Square". In 1894, with the inauguration of the Monument in homage of Tiradentes, the square got this new name: "Tiradentes Square".
Around 1750, the joint architectural of the square started to be built. In 1748, approximately, the new "Palace of the Governors" started to function on this place. Today, "Tiradentes Square" is marked by two imponent buildings: the Museum of the Inconfidencia (old House of Chamber and Chain - 1784) and the Museum of Science and Technique (old Palace of Governors). |
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Completed in 1794, the Sao Francisco de Assis church is one of the top contenders for most beautiful church in Ouro Preto, if not the whole of Brazil. Most of the artwork was done by Aleijadinho, who was invited by the Franciscan brotherhood to design and decorate the church. His elaborate soapstone carvings, including the pulpits and altars, are simply unbelievable. The baptismal font in the sacristy alone took him 3 years to make! The paintings are by Atayde, who was also responsible for the ceiling mural of the Virgin Mary in heaven, surrounded by cherubs and musicians. One interesting aspect of the architecture is the way the two towers flanking the church at the front were actually set back so that when you stand directly in front of the church, nothing takes away from the intricately carved entrance. |
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see our visit to Tiradentes e Sao Joao del Rey |
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Sao Francisco de Assis Church - Ouro Preto |
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