Historic Town of Ouro Preto, Colonial architectural ensemble in Minas Gerais, Brazil

Ouro Preto is a colonial town on steep slopes in Minas Gerais, founded in 1711 as Vila Rica by merging bandeirante settlements. Its winding streets link public buildings, residences, fountains, bridges and churches with curved Baroque architecture, including the matriz of Nossa Senhora do Pilar and São Francisco de Assis. Houses cluster tightly, some with gilded facades and painted doorframes, while stone staircases connect the levels.

The town emerged during the Brazilian Gold Rush in 1698 and served as capital of Minas Gerais Province from 1720 to 1897. This extended period as a political and economic center shaped its architectural and artistic development.

The Church of São Francisco de Assisi displays intricate stone carvings by Antônio Francisco Lisboa and ceiling paintings by Manuel da Costa Athaide that remain central to local religious practice and the town's visual identity.

The historic center spreads across steep hillsides, so walking between the churches and museums involves constant climbs and descents; allow extra time and wear sturdy shoes. The Museu da Inconfidência occupies the former town hall and jail, while the Escola de Minas is housed in the former governor's palace. The town sits at an average altitude of 1,179 meters, and the historic center is about 100 km southeast of Belo Horizonte.

Restrictions placed by the Portuguese Crown on religious orders in Minas Gerais led to churches built without conventional monasteries. This constraint forced architects and artists to develop distinctive solutions found nowhere else in colonial Brazil.