Historic Town of Ouro Preto

Gold gave Ouro Preto its name and its splendour. Founded in the late 17th century in the hills of Minas Gerais, the town became the centre of Brazil's 18th-century gold rush, spending its wealth on churches, fountains and bridges of striking refinement — many touched by the genius of Aleijadinho, the greatest sculptor of the Brazilian Baroque. When the mines gave out, time largely stopped, preserving the ensemble whole. UNESCO made Ouro Preto Brazil's first World Heritage Site in 1980.