Stone streets
And 18th-century houses.
José Rosário Castro — CC BY-SA 4.0 · MTur Destinos — Public domain · Marinelson Almeida - Traveling through Brazil from Niteroi, Brasil — CC BY 2.0 · Danilomhadek — CC BY-SA 4.0
Tiradentes is one of the best-preserved colonial towns in Minas Gerais: a small place of stone-paved streets and whitewashed houses at the foot of the Serra de São José. It began in 1702 as a mining camp after gold was found on the range's slopes, became the Vila de São José do Rio das Mortes in 1718, later São José del-Rei, and in 1889 was renamed after Tiradentes, the national hero of the independence movement, who was born nearby. Its architectural ensemble has been protected nationally since 1938. Its great landmark is the Matriz de Santo Antônio, begun in 1710 and famous for its gilded Baroque interior. Today the town is known for its food as much as its history, from wood-stove home cooking to chef-run restaurants, with a Culture and Gastronomy Festival every August since 1998 and a festival of Brazilian cinema since the same year. Local cooking uses a lot of pork, so ask about ingredients.
And 18th-century houses.
Gilded Baroque.
From wood stoves to chefs.
Historic centre, Tiradentes, Minas Gerais
Every August since 1998, filling the squares and streets of the historic centre with chefs and events.
