I'm fascinated by older architecture, perhaps because I was born in a Brazillian city called Belo Horizonte ("Beautiful Horizon") located 100 kilometers from the historical city of Ouro Preto ("Black Gold").
Ouro Preto was founded at the end of the 17th century by Portuguese immigrants in search of gold and precious stones. Surrounded by mountains, rivers and waterfalls, it is a breathtaking sight of colonial-baroque architecture.
This beautiful city has always been an inspiration for many artists, poets and writers. Its most famous celebrity was Antônio Francisco Lisboa, better known as Aleijadinho ("Little Cripple"). Aleijadinho was a colonial Brazil-born sculptor and architect most noted for his works on and in the various churches of Ouro Preto.
In 1933, Ouro Preto was declared a national monument and the surrounding region a national park. Ouro Preto is also a Unesco World Heritage Landmark. Below are some images of this inspiring city borrowed from Unesco World Heritage Center. (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/124), © /M&G Therin-Weise. ~JS
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