Historical & Cultural Landmarks in Brazil

Brasília is the federal capital of Brazil and seat of government of the Federal District. Laid out along an east-west axis crossed by a north-south axis, curved to follow the topography as a transportation thoroughfare, Brasília is a definitive example of 20th century modernist urbanism.

São Luís lies on the west side of São Luís Island on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Brazil. The 17th-century core of this historic town, founded by the French and occupied by the Dutch before coming under Portuguese rule, has survived, preserved as an outstanding example of an Iberian colonial town.

Diamantina is a city in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It was founded in 1729 during the Brazilian Gold Rush and is known for its historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The historic center has many well-preserved colonial buildings, including churches, mansions, and shops.

Olinda is a historic town in northeastern Pernambuco, Brazil. Located atop a hill on the Atlantic coast, it is situated just a few kilometers north of the state capital, Recife. Founded in 1535 by the Portuguese, it is renowned for its rich cultural heritage and colonial architecture.

Ouro Preto is a historic town located in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Founded in 1698, it was once the state's capital and played a significant role in the country's colonial history. Today, Ouro Preto is known for its well-preserved colonial architecture, rich cultural heritage, and artistic legacy.

The ruins of São Miguel das Missões in Brazil and those of San Ignacio Miní, Santa Ana, Nuestra Señora de Loreto and Santa María la Mayor in Argentina, lie at the heart of a tropical forest. They are the remains of five Jesuit missions, built in the land of the Guaranis during the 17th and 18th centuries.

The Pampulha Modern Ensemble was the center of a visionary garden city project created in 1940 in Belo Horizonte. Designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer around an artificial lake, this cultural and leisure center included a casino, a ballroom, the Golf Yacht Club and the São Francisco de Assis church.

Located between the Serra da Bocaina mountain range and the Atlantic Ocean, this cultural and natural landscape includes the historic center of Paraty, the island of Ilha Grande as well as four protected natural areas of the Atlantic Forest, one of the world's key biodiversity hotspots.

Founded by the Portuguese in 1549 as the first capital of Brazil, Salvador de Bahia is one of the oldest colonial cities in the Americas. The city's Historic Center is distinguished by its religious, civil and military colonial architecture dating from the 17th to the 19th centuries.

The sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Congonhas in Minas Gerais, Brazil, consists of a church with a Rococo interior, an outdoor stairway decorated with statues of the prophets and seven chapels illustrating the Stations of the Cross, which are masterpieces of a highly original form of Baroque art.