Former Gold Assaying Office and Royal Foundry, Colonial museum in Sabará, Brazil
The Gold Museum is located in a former assaying office building and displays tools, scales, and metalworking equipment from the Brazilian gold mining era. The collection contains more than 300 pieces, including original testing instruments and equipment used for gold extraction and metal production in colonial times.
The building served as a Royal Foundry in the 18th century when Brazil was the world's leading gold producer. It was later established as a museum to preserve this important chapter of industrial heritage.
The collection reflects techniques that workers practiced for generations, showing how gold shaped the region's identity and daily life. These artifacts tell the story of people who worked with fire and metal, building the foundation of a nation's wealth.
The location is in the Historic Centre of Sabara and is easily accessible on foot, with the area straightforward to navigate. Visitors can walk past other colonial structures to experience the architectural continuity of the region.
The foundry preserved original testing instruments that were actually used to verify gold quality, bearing marks from the countless times workers handled them. These objects are rare examples of tools kept in the place where they were originally used.
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