Ouro Preto (redirected from Vila Rica)

Ouro Prêto 

a city in southeastern Brazil, in the state of Minas Gerais. Population, 46,200 (1970); railroad station and highway junction. Major industries include nonferrous and ferrous metallurgy. One-third of Brazil’s aluminum is produced in Ouro Prêto. The city also has textile, food-processing, lumber, chemical, and leather footwear industries. Bauxite and iron and manganese ores are mined nearby.

Ouro Prêto was founded in the early 18th century as Vila Rica. From 1724 to 1897 it was the capital of the state of Minas Gerais. In 1823 the city received its present name. Ouro Prêto has a regular plan, with the rectangular Independence Square at its center. Architectural landmarks, primarily in the late baroque style, include the Governor’s Palace (1741, architects J. F. de Alpoim and M. F. de Lisboa) and the City Hall and the jail attached to it (late 18th and 19th centuries; since 1938 it has been a museum). Churches include del Carmen (1766–76), Sao Francisco de Assis (1766–94, architect Aleijadinho), and Nossa Senhora do Rosário do Barro (1785, architect M F. de Araújo).

In 1933, Ouro Prêto was declared a national monument. Old buildings in the city’s center may not be torn down, and new construction has been restricted.

REFERENCE

Bandeira, M. Guide d’ouro Prêto. Rio de Janeiro, 1948.