Our last stop on historical cities was Paraty. Paraty is not located in Minas Gerais state but on the coast of Rio de Janeiro state. It has a relationship with the historical cities of Minas Gerais, since gold and minerals from Ouro Preto and other cities nearby were transported to Portugal from Paraty, as described below.
From the web:
The village of Paraty was founded in 1597 in a region populated by the Guaianás Indians. In the Tupi language Paraty means river of fish. When the region was colonized by the Portuguese, they adopted the Guaianás name for their new town. After the discovery of the world's richest gold mines in 1696 in the mountains of Minas Gerais, Paraty became an export port for gold to Rio de Janeiro and from there on to Portugal. The ensuing gold rush led to the construction of the "Caminho do Ouro" or "Gold Trail", a 1200 kilometer road, paved in steep areas with large stones, which connected Paraty to Diamantina via Ouro Preto and Tiradentes. Not only was it used to transport gold to Paraty, but it was also used to convey supplies, miners and African slaves by mule train over the mountains to and from the gold mining areas. Finally, the gold itself began to run out in the late 18th century, and Paraty declined. The Gold Trail was submitted for inclusion on the World Heritage List in August 2004.
Our impressions: Paraty is a very nice town with several Portuguese styled houses. The streets were built with quite big stones, a particularity that was pictured in some photos. The restaurants are good and not expensive. It is one of the most visited places in Brazil.
Paraty; streets built by slaves.
Paraty; houses and streets.
Paraty; houses at Rua (street) Tenente Francisco Antônio.
Paraty; Rua da Capela street.
Paraty; Rua da Capela street; Nossa Senhora das Dores church, in the background.
Paraty; Rua Dr. Pereira street.
Nossa Senhora das Dores church.
I took the picture, but - I must say - the idea came from Arnulf.