14 World Heritage Sites worth a visit and located in Brazil

Brazil has 14 World Heritage Sites. This means that experts have considered these sites of “outstanding universal value” due to their great historical, aesthetic, archaeological, scientific, ethnological or anthropological value.

There are 845 places in the world that are classified this way, according to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).

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Ouro Preto, in Minas Gerais, was the first location in Brazil to receive UN recognition as a world cultural heritage site, in 1980. It is not named for nothing. In addition to all the history of the place, the city was a point of abundant gold production. However, the extracted metal was covered by a layer of iron oxide. Over the years the influence of gold on the local economy has diminished. But the art and architecture resulting from those times can still be visited today.

Certainly the first thing that may come to your mind is the fact that the carnival in Olinda was one of the reasons why it was included in the UNESCO list. However, that is not why the beautiful Olinda is considered a world cultural heritage. Like several other locations in Pernambuco, it was a rich sugar producer.

With a strong Portuguese influence, it brings together several religious relics and Baroque churches of rare beauty, especially in its historic center, which is the main reason for its recognition.

The ruins are located in a territory that was formerly inhabited by Guarani, between Rio Grande do Sul and Argentina. They show how the religious were meticulous to build their houses and also a church in an attempt to catechize the Indians. Another curious fact is that each one has a different architecture and different states of conservation.

First capital of Brazil, Salvador, in Bahia, is not just a stronghold for one of the biggest carnivals in the country. The city was influenced in its culture and economy by the mixture of African, European and Amerindian cultures, which can be noticed in the colorful houses and old buildings located in the historic center of the city, recognized as one of the cultural riches of the world.

The sanctuary located in the city of Congonhas, in Minas Gerais, is actually a complex composed of a church with a rococo-style interior, six chapels, stations of the cross and even statues of the 12 prophets. The sculptures, inspired by Baroque art and considered highly original for the time, were produced by Aleijadinho.

Created in 1956 where you used to be a field, Brasília, in the Federal District, has established itself as a landmark in urban planning.

The project, by urbanist Lúcio Costa and architect Oscar Niemeyer, made sure that each element was in harmony with the general design of the city, according to Unesco.

The park has a set of valleys and plateaus located in the city of São Raimundo Nonato, in Piauí. Archaeological sites with cave paintings and engravings testify to one of the oldest human occupations in Latin America.

The strong European influence in the region can be seen in the architecture of the buildings preserved until today in the Historic Center of São Luís, in Maranhão. To a large extent they were erected by lords who controlled cotton production. And they spared nothing in building their houses.

In the search for gold, explorers ended up staying on the banks of a river that was in the middle of several rocky mountains in the interior of Minas Gerais. In the place they ended up finding diamonds and, driven by the wealth of the discovery, the occupation grew and the city was named Diamantina. What caught Unesco’s attention was the fusion of architecture and urban layout in the midst of the region’s then inhospitable mountains.

10. City of Goiás (GO)

(Old Goiás)

The city emerged on the banks of the Rio Vermelho, in Goiás, as a result of mining operations. At the time, there was no concern with the organization of urban space, however, it preserves in an exemplary way its architectural, landscape and cultural monuments. The city is proud to be the birthplace of one of the greatest Brazilian writers, Cora Coralina, who died in 1985.

Made up of buildings over 400 years old, Praça de São Francisco, in the city of São Cristóvão, in Sergipe, is made up of houses and mansions from different historical periods, such as the church and Convent of São Francisco, the Santa Casa de Mercy and the Provincial Palace. The achievement of the title of world heritage is celebrated every year by the residents of the city.

The title was given by UNESCO for the “extreme beauty of the landscapes between the mountain and the sea”, according to the international body. Among them are the Botanical Garden, the Corcovado Mountains, with the famous Christ the Redeemer statue, as well as the hills that surround Guanabara Bay and the stunning scenery along Copacabana beach.

The bold project of buildings, artificial square and edge that form the modern complex, was the result of the work of professionals of great talent, among them the architect Oscar Niemeyer, the landscaper Roberto Burle Marx, and the painter Cândido Portinari.

The archaeological site Cais do Valongo, in Rio de Janeiro, is located in the old port area of ​​the city. It was here that about 900,000 Africans arrived in South America to be enslaved. It became a cultural heritage with the aim that no one forgets the horror of slavery. On the other hand, he recalls the survival instinct of the ancestors of Afro-descendants, who today make up more than half of the Brazilian population.

And you, have you visited some of these gems of Brazilian and world culture? Tell us how it went.