Casa dos Contos, Colonial tax office museum in Ouro Preto, Brazil
Casa dos Contos is a three-story baroque building with a white facade decorated by stone-carved portals and wrought iron balconies. The structure showcases symmetrical windows arranged across its exterior and stonework details that reflect baroque architectural principles from the late 1700s.
The structure was built between 1782 and 1784 as both residence and tax collection office for Portuguese administrator João Rodrigues de Macedo. It later became connected to local independence movements when spaces within it were used to hold political prisoners.
The building once served administrative purposes and now functions as a museum where visitors walk through rooms that reveal daily life during the gold era. Its stone-carved portals and wrought iron balconies were symbols of Portuguese colonial power and wealth displayed for all to see.
The building is located in the city center and welcomes visitors who can explore the rooms independently or with a guide. Plan to spend time browsing through the document collections and moving through the different floors at a comfortable pace.
The house takes its name from its original purpose as a place for keeping records of royal taxes during the gold era. Visitors today can see how complex financial systems operated even in colonial times.
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