To truly experience Brazil’s history, it’s vital that you visit some of its most historic spots like Teatro Amazonas.
Pelourinho, located in Salvador, boasts beautiful Renaissance buildings and vibrantly painted houses, but is perhaps better known for being one of the first slave markets in North America.
Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte is an oasis of culture. Offering museums, boutiques, restaurants and an active arts scene.
Belo Horizonte marked a new historical era for Brazil when it replaced Ouro Preto as its center. Modernizing elites wanted to erase colonial rule and slavery’s legacy from history, and Belo Horizonte boasted an unconventional yet noble church featuring its distinctive curvilinear shape that exuded an eclectic atmosphere.
Paraty
Paraty’s charming car-free Historic District is like entering a time capsule; colorful facades and intricate wood details greet visitors around every turn.
Paraty, founded by the Guaianas indigenous people and meaning ‘rivers of fish’ in Tupi language, did not experience much prosperity until Portuguese arrived in 1597 and discovered gold nearby, becoming Paraty the port for Caminho do Ouro (Gold Trail).
But as gold supply quickly dried up, this once vibrant city started to lose steam.
Salvador
Brazilian history is rich and can be explored through visiting several historic places across Brazil. One such location, Pelourinho in Salvador UNESCO World Heritage Site, houses churches, convents, palaces and vibrantly colored houses dating back to 1600s.
Pedro Alvares Cabral of Portugal claimed Brazil for Portugal in April 1500. As his reward, Brazil provided abundant natural resources – particularly brazilwood wood that propelled Brazil’s economy forward.
El Salvador is home to four species of sea turtles (hawksbill, olive ridley, leatherback and green). Please do your best not to touch or disturb these aquatic residents by not disturbing their nesting sites or physically interfering.
Ouro Preto
Ouro Preto is an internationally acclaimed Historic Town that was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Renowned for its baroque churches and houses dating back to its establishment in 17th-century Brazil.
Gold was the cornerstone of its prosperity; education and culture flourished here as well. For this reason, Rio became a centre for mining operations in Brazil as well as an attractive city that offered both.
Ouro Preto houses and churches are treasures of Brazilian history. Some were designed by Aleijadinho – one of Brazil’s great sculptors – yet now they face grave danger from theft or decay.
Bom Jesus do Congonhas
One of the most significant historical sites in Brazil is the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Congonhas, famed for its basilica and associated soapstone sculptures commissioned by Portuguese adventurer Feliciano Mendes during the 18th century. Designed by Aleijadinho – one of the finest artists working in Baroque style today – and considered his finest work, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
This church marks an intermediate phase in the evolution of religious constructions in this mining region, featuring towers that stand slightly recessed from its frontispiece while surpassing its central aisle.
Inga
The Inga Stone is one of the most intriguing archaeological finds in Brazil, yet its carvings remain unclear and mysterious. Some researchers speculate they may contain symbols, animals, and fruits while others believe they could contain messages from extraterrestrial lifeforms.
The Teatro Amazonas is an unmissable historical landmark in Brazil. Situated in Manaus amidst the Amazon rainforest, this gorgeous opera house was funded by rubber industry barons and designed by top European architects.
Christ the Redeemer
Christ the Redeemer stands out among many other monuments as one of Rio de Janeiro’s most striking and iconic structures, serving both as a cultural icon and global emblem of Christianity.
Catholic group the “Catholic Circle of Rio” suggested building a landmark statue in 1920 and launched Semana do Monumento to collect donations for it. At first they had planned on creating either a cross or statue depicting Jesus holding out the globe but ultimately chose an open-armed statue as their focal point.
Fazenda Tozan
From Campinas, visit Fazenda Tozan, a cultural and historical landmark dating back to 1798 and lovingly preserved until today. Considered one of Brazil’s most carefully managed historic properties with architectural structures, furnishings, and items from that era still preserved today.
After experiencing this exquisite property that once belonged to the coffee cycle and features an attractive chapel, take time for an afternoon picnic in nature before heading over to Fazenda Villa Gade in Morungaba (1 hour away) which boasts another historically preserved location.
